Many Parts
by HipsterL
Summary: Rukia/16 years old. Hair color/Black. Eye color/Black. Occupation/High school student. An alternate take on the story of Bleach. (The Arrival Arc/Complete)
1. I

**A/N: It's been about three years since I've published anything, and since then, I've gotten much better. I've been working on this particular story for a long time, and I hope that everyone can enjoy it!**

 **The idea for this came about when Bleach first ended, and I, like everyone else, found myself dissatisfied about how it went. This was both therapy for me, as well as an interesting exploration into the rather simple idea of Rukia and Ichigo "trading places" in the story. It should probably be noted that, as a result of the butterfly effect, many, many other things started to change after that. Needless to say...**

 **SPOILERS AHEAD**

 **Please enjoy. (And expect chapters to come once a week unless told otherwise.)**

* * *

Part I

 _Year: 2001_

 _Karakura Town 2:23AM Friday_

Under the cover of night, in a strange little town in Japan, a Spirit lurks, searching for his target.

 _Karakura Town 7:13PM Friday_

"I'm telling you, chicks dig the tattoos."

"Renji, 'chicks dig' those tattoos about as much as the school board does."

"Strong words coming from someone who still watches kids cartoons about bunnies."

"Those cartoons are not just for kids and you know it! They have deep characters, are well written, well animated…"

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard that one a few million times."

Rukia grit her teeth at being interrupted. She'd only given him that speech maybe one other time. She took a deep breath and walked on with every intention of giving him the cold shoulder until he apologized. _Chappy and Friends_ was not just for kids! It had a strong adult following.

Their steps sounded through quiet streets, which were pretty normal for this neighborhood. About three fourths of the people living here were above the age of sixty, and trouble really only came by every once in a while.

This was what made it so easy to hear the sounds of rolling wheels and rowdy laughter as they walked. Still, she didn't know what happened at first when Renji grabbed her by the arm to pull her to his other side.

"What the-?" A boy their age wearing a jersey and riding a skateboard rode past him, right where Rukia was standing. A couple of others quickly followed.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Renji yelled at them. Rukia couldn't help but bristle, too. The nerve of some people… Still, they didn't stop. She brushed Renji's hand away from her. They weren't worth it.

As the group went forward she saw one of them try a weird jump trick on the pavement. It's some trick she thinks she saw once on TV, but she couldn't be quite sure, especially since it was fumbled so badly. The trick failed miserably, and she would have snickered at _him_ falling flat on his face were it not for the kid knocking over a small vase of flowers by a lamppost. She bolted for the group.

"Hey!" Rukia yelled. The kid was already getting up and heading over to the rest of his friends who had just finished laughing their asses off at his expense. "Aren't you going to pick that up?" she asked, glowering.

"Why would I do that?" He had a smug look on his face.

"Because 'that' was put there for a little girl who died."

One of the other guys answered, "Yeah, I think I heard about that." They were all standing now, looking right at her and Renji, almost like they were sizing them up, and definitely like they weren't impressed by what they saw.

"Then maybe you should apologize."

"Apologize? To who? I don't see no one here but you and your pineapple headed boyfriend." The last almost sounded like a threat. Renji kicked the guy in the stomach.

"If she said you should apologize, then apologize," he growled out. The guy was wheezing, hunched over. "And don't call me pineapple head! Got it!" He punctuated the last statement with another kick, which turned out to be just a bit too much for the thug. He fell over.

"Toshi-bro's down!"

Another one of the thugs stepped forward saying with a sneer, "What, you two looking for a fight," stepping towards Rukia all the while, hunched over to look her right in the eye. Rukia's nose scrunched up reflexively. His breath was just awful. "We'd be glad to give one to you–" She cut him off, elbowing him in the jaw. He choked for a moment, clutching his face in pain. A muffled curse escaped through his fingers and probably bitten through tongue.

Another one came up to her charging belligerently and yelling, "Oh, now you're askin' for it!" She side stepped him without trouble, striking him behind the knee with her foot, breaking his stance with ease. She grabbed onto the back of his hoodie, and using his own momentum, flipped him over right onto his back.

 _Oomph!_

The final two glanced around nervously, looking between Rukia and Renji like they were trying to figure out which one would be the most forgiving. They surveyed Renji's intimidating figure and Rukia's icy glare and came to the correct conclusion. It was neither of them.

"Now, are you going to apologize?" Rukia asked. Renji was cracking his knuckles behind her. They were already scrambling away.

"We're sorry!" one of them called back. They didn't even try to pick up their buddies. Rukia didn't pay them any mind, though. She instead looked back at the lamppost.

"What a bunch of losers," Renji muttered.

"You're right about that," she said absently. She was much more focused on a figure before her, a figure only she could see.

She was a little girl. She had her hair in these cute pigtails and wore a pink striped shirt. She was a delicate thing, really, peaking shyly around the lamppost. The only thing that gave away what she really was, was the blood on her face, the chain on her chest, and last week's obituary that read: _Akita, Maru, 10._

"I'm really sorry about that," said Rukia with a gentle smile. "I'll make sure those guys won't bother you again."

The girl shook her head slowly, as if to say, "it's no big deal." Rukia thought it was a very big deal.

Smile falling, she asked, "I can bring you replacement flowers tomorrow, if you'd like."

"No," the girl said quietly. "You've already helped so much. They've been here before, but I couldn't say anything about it." This was probably the most the little Spirit's ever spoken to Rukia, and while in a way it made her happy, what she said also really made her want to give those thugs a few extra lumps. In the end, she just sighed, a bit tired, and smiled again.

"Well, good riddance, right?" The girl giggled a bit, nodding. Straightening up, Rukia brushed off her skirt. "Bye, Maru," she said. "Make sure to go to heaven soon, okay."

"I will," she said with her own small smile. Rukia really wished she could keep on talking to the girl, but not too far stood Renji, still waiting.

"You done doing that weird medium thing?" he asked.

"It's not 'weird,'" Rukia said with a glare, "and yes. Yes I am." She began walking away from the street corner in a huff. "And wasn't the turn to your house a few blocks ago?"

"Yeah…" he drawled. "I was going to ask you if I could come over to study a minute ago, but then the fugly five came by." Rukia snorted at that.

"You're at my house every other day. I don't think you need to ask anymore."

"Sweet."

Making the rest of the journey was far more peaceful, luckily. The two ended up idly talking about the large stack of homework they would have to make their way through soon enough, and that took them the rest of the way to Rukia's house.

The Orikasa home was one of the nicest of any student's at Karakura Highschool. It was two stories high, but still maintained an otherwise traditional look. Then again, that was the kind of place you could afford when your older brother had his own law firm.

It was that very brother that was inside that very home when they entered. He was in the kitchen, wearing an apron (Rukia had to elbow Renji in the side to stop him from giggling) over his dress shirt and slacks, cooking up a stir fry that smelled absolutely delicious.

"Brother, I'm home," Rukia greeted politely.

"You're here earlier than usual," Renji commented idly.

"Actually," he cleared his throat and continued, only addressing Rukia, "You are back home late." She suddenly looked very sheepish. "We did agree on a seven o'clock curfew, did we not?"

"Yeah, about that…" She trailed off, looking to Renji for some kind of help. He shrugged, and her expression turned sour. Some help he was. She guessed she'd have to just stick with the truth. "I got caught up. These boys were harassing a Spirit," she confessed, putting her things down on the kitchen table. Renji followed suit.

"A Spirit?" Byakuya said this, raising an eyebrow. "I suppose that's a decent enough excuse." He barely even glanced up from his task. "Go ahead and wash up. This will be done in a second."

The relief Rukia felt was visible. Her brother usually didn't accept excuses, no matter how true they were. That of course didn't make the next thing she was going to say any easier.

"Um," she started lamely, "Renji's here to study. Is it okay if he stays for dinner?"

For a long second, the man looked at her. It seemed like he wanted to say something about it, but instead he just shook his head.

"That's alright," he eventually said, before focusing on the food he was making, possibly to make sure it was enough for three.

Byakuya Orikasa was a strange man, that there was no doubt. He spoke more formally than someone twice his age of thirty-nine, he kept his hair long despite being a big shot lawyer, and strangest of all, he decided to adopt a child, Rukia Orikasa, some years ago. He was a bit of an anomaly, one that Renji took for granted when he was younger, and one that Rukia still takes for granted to this day.

Thirty or so minutes later, Rukia and Renji found themselves with full bellies, and (after the dishes were washed) they began their study session in Rukia's room, door open upon Byakuya's request.

"Is it just me," Renji started, "or does your brother not like me very much?"

"Oh, he definitely doesn't like you that much," Rukia said casually, flipping to the next page in her textbook.

"Thanks," he said glumly.

"He's always commenting on how you're a bad influence, a delinquent, a moocher…" Renji's eye started to tick

"I think I get it! Now can't we work on school or something?" Rukia laughed. If Renji wanted to do school work rather than literally anything else, he must have been really desperate. That being said, she may have been exaggerating Byakuya's opinion of him.

"Yeah, we can start on World History," she said with a smile.

"Crap we have a test for that Monday, don't we?"

Rukia nodded, "It's-" and suddenly she found the words stuck in her throat. It was like a strange pressure washed over her, a chill in her bones. She got a similar feeling when she was very close to a Spirit, but this…this was far more intense. It was like a whole hoard of them were just sitting right outside her window. Her eyes snapped to it, searching for where that feeling might be coming from, and in the distance, she saw it.

"It" was a figure, standing quietly in the darkness. She couldn't make out any features, but she was sure it noticed her.

"Hey, what's going on?" Renji asked. "What are you seeing out there?" He glanced out the window too, but all he saw was an empty roof and an overcast sky. When Rukia looked again, that was all she saw, too.

"It's nothing," she said, swallowing thickly. She was telling herself that as much as she was telling him. "Let's keep working."

Part II

What was that thing outside of her window? This was a question that Rukia couldn't get out of her head the entire weekend. It was definitely some kind of Spirit, but none she'd ever come across.

"Miss Orikasa?"

There was always the chance that she would see it again, but she wasn't actually sure what would happen. Would it attack her, or would she be able to talk to it?

"Miss Orikasa?"

After seeing spirits for so many years, neither would surprise her.

"Miss Orikasa!"

"Huh?" Rukia blurted out, startled. A few in the class snickered.

"Since you seem so confident that you know the material," the teacher said with a deep frown, "could you find the derivative of this equation?" He said this, holding out a piece of chalk, inviting her to come to the front of the room, and for a second, silence stretched on in the classroom. People were staring, waiting to see what would happen, but before the teacher could withdraw the offer, Rukia stood up in her chair, trying not to wince at the scraping noise it made. She walked up to him, carefully took the chalk from his hand, and stared at the problem.

She almost breathed a sigh of relief. She could do this one. She set to work, going carefully and slowly through each step. She got to the solution, put the piece of chalk down, bowed, left, and hoped to god she didn't get any of the steps wrong.

The teacher appraised it with a careful eye before nodding.

"Thank you, Miss Orikasa," he eventually said. He turned back to his book, and Rukia sagged in her chair a bit. "Now, as I was saying…" The teacher's voice faded into the background once more, and before long, the bell rang signaling break.

People wasted no time getting up or walking around, but before Rukia could even think to stretch her legs, an arm rested on her shoulder. If he didn't speak up immediately, she might have turned around and punched him in the nose.

"Hey, you're being a bit of a space case, today," Renji commented with a curious expression on his face. "What's up?"

"It's nothing. I guess I'm just distracted."

Leaning in closer, Renji asked in a hushed tone, "You still thinking about that thing you saw? It was a Spirit, wasn't it?" He knew her all too well. She hadn't even mentioned it since.

"Yeah," she admitted letting out a long puff of air through her nose. "Whatever that thing was, I've never seen anything like it before." _Kind of,_ she thought. There was something oddly familiar about it.

"Sounds scary," he said with a grin. She just shrugged.

"What sounds scary?" a new voice asked. Renji jumped.

"Christ, don't sneak up on a guy like that!" he yelled.

Rukia rolled her eyes. Pot meet kettle.

"Hi, Keigo," she said.

"Hey, Rukia," he said with a grin before continuing. "Seriously, though, if we're taking about scary, a buddy of mine was telling me about a haunted house he went to a while back…"

Keigo was an interesting guy. He was easily excitable, always one for conversation, and maybe a bit of an idiot. He probably wasn't the type of guy Rukia would make friends with, but he just kind of…asserted himself.

"Please," Renji interjected. "Haunted houses are lame. If you _really_ want to get scared, you should try the abandoned hospital. _That_ shit's spooky."

"Whaaaat? There's no way you did that," Keigo said nervously.

"Are you sure about that?" Renji asked with a dark grin. Keigo whimpered.

"He's never been," Rukia confirmed, arms crossing. Renji turned to her with a look of utter betrayal. Keigo laughed.

"You probably should have seen that one coming," said Mizuiro, who had just walked in on the conversation with a smirk. "As far as I know, nobody goes in there. Not since that poor class went missing inside, anyway." Keigo paled.

"You guys just love freaking me out, don't you?" he moaned.

"Well, you do make it easy," Rukia said with a smile. Still, the conversation did have her thinking.

The abandoned hospital wasn't a place Rukia like to go anywhere near. The presence there just screamed bad news, so she always tended to avoid it. Now, the feeling she got on Friday, and the one she gets whenever she steers too close to the hospital are different, but the fact that they are so unique from anything else she's felt… Maybe some "investigation" was in order?

"Could everyone please sit down?" asked a new teacher at the front. "I hope you all studied well for today's quiz," she said. She could hear Keigo groan just behind her.

The day went by pretty easily, after that, and Rukia didn't feel so distracted anymore. She had an objective in mind, now, one that she could probably get done before she got home. All that was left now was to think about how she was going to do this and to possibly ask Renji for help. This was on her mind as the final bell of the day rang.

With that ring came an ear-piercing screech. The windows shattered inwards, a figure crashing through the classroom, and then through the far wall, as well.

"Everyone get under the desks, just like we practiced," their teacher said with utmost urgency. Everyone quickly followed the instructions. Just as Rukia was starting to wonder what the heck was going on, Renji voiced her thoughts.

"What the hell was that?!" Renji yelled. Rukia had absolutely no idea, and was about to say as much, but then she realized something.

There was that feeling, the same feeling she got Friday night. This was definitely the strange Spirit, but there was something else with it, something much more sinister, and it was closing in.

"We have to get out of here," she said quietly, voice shaking slightly. She said again, this time, louder, "We have to go!" Some of the students whimpered.

"Calm down, Miss Orikasa!" their teacher ordered. "There is no reason to panic. Whatever happened seemed to have passed, so everyone needs to get up, and make their way outside in an orderly fashion."

Every person in the classroom was eager to follow that particular command. They filed out in record time, going into the hallway, which had a similarly pierced window. Whatever was thrown through here could not have been in good shape, Spirit or otherwise, and though Rukia probably should have filed out with the others to escape danger, she couldn't help but wait until the teacher turned the corner to look outside the large hole in the window.

She had to be careful when taking a peak as to not hurt herself and/or fall out of the window completely. The hole was about as tall as her, and the broken edges were sharp and jagged. Still, she leaned out as far as she would dare.

What she saw was unexpected. The guy was a Spirit, that was certain, but he didn't look like any Spirit she's ever seen. He wore a black kimono and hakama and had bright orange hair that she could even see from here. He was pulling himself up using a Katana, and well, he didn't look too good. He was swaying slightly, blood on the ground below him.

"Hey!" Renji said in a hushed voice. "What happened to 'we have to go!?'"

"He needs help!" Rukia urged. Renji gave her a look of shock.

"What are you even talking about?" She started looking for a way down.

"There's a Spirit down there," she explained. "He's the same one from Friday, and he's hurt." She started running toward the opposite stairwell. "He needs help." Renji started following her.

"I thought you said Spirits looked hurt all the time?" Renji asked, panic starting to tinge in his voice. They turned into the stairwell.

"This is different!" she exclaimed back. "He looks like he's in pain."

"Wait!" Renji grabbed her by the shoulder, stopping her descent down the steps. "Whatever got him, could get us. We should go with the others."

"If you saw him, you wouldn't be saying that." As she said this, she turned right back toward Renji, looking him in the eyes, and he looked back. For a moment, they just breathed.

"Shit," he finally said, going down the stairs again. "Let's go save him or something." She smiled widely, before running down, too.

The Spirit landed in the track field in the back of the school, not close enough for any of the students being herded by teachers to see them, but just close enough for her to be incredibly nervous about their safety. By the time they got down to him, he was standing up, but he didn't seem to notice them, at first.

No, he was paying too much attention to another figure coming in overhead, jumping off the roof of the school and onto the ground in front of them.

This figure was like no Spirit Rukia could have even imagined. It had an indescribable presence, one that made her skin crawl and set her teeth on edge, as well as a bone white mask and a hole right in the center of its chest. It looked like a monster, plain and simple.

"Gotta finish this quickly," he muttered to himself.

"What the hell?" Renji asked right next to her. His eyes were searching wildly, and he had broken out into a cold sweat. So, even he had noticed it.

"What the-?" the human-like Spirit suddenly asked, and then he made direct eye contact with Rukia. He froze. "You can see us?" he whispered. "How…" The Monster took this moment of hesitation to strike.

 _Cruuuunch!_

It had bit down right on the Spirit, trapping his arm and piercing his shoulder. He couldn't even make a sound, but he could still move. He had his sword wedged within the creature's jaw, and with a push (a push that Rukia suspected took the last of his strength) he cut into its face, causing it to reel back screaming, a sizable gash in its mask that crept into its eye partially blinding it.

The Spirit stepped back once, twice, and then fell.

Rukia was frozen in shock.

"Rukia, you're going to have to explain to me what's –" Renji was cut off by the Monster, lashing out at the sudden sound in its blind spot, which in this case was Renji. He was knocked aside like a ragdoll.

She was the only one left standing in front of what was basically a desperate wounded animal, one that was about three times her height.

Well, what was she going to do now? There had to be something, anything, to use to try and not die, but right now, she was in an open field. Every last piece of equipment was put away. There was nothing.

 _Almost nothing._

Her eyes slid to the sword the Spirit was wielding earlier. She'd never held one before in her life, but she did just see it hurt that Monster. She made a mad dash for it.

She knew vaguely in her mind that she was panicking as she ran, but her body propelled itself forward, like it too knew that this was the only option. She was so close to it, close enough she could almost–

The Monster shoved her down into the ground right in front of it. For a few seconds, she was dazed. Dirt was in her mouth, her face was scratched up, her head was spinning…

"…stand…" a voice whispered.

"What?" she groaned back.

"Can you stand?" the voice said again, stronger.

"Yeah," she said, getting up to her hands and knees. She could see the monster circling them, waiting for an opening.

"Good," he said gruffly. It took a second for Rukia to realize this was the Spirit. "That makes one of us. I–" He was cut off by his own wet sounding cough. Rukia winced, but he continued, voice sounding harsher, "I need you to finish this fight, okay? You can borrow some of my power, just enough to be able to kill that Hollow and save everyone here."

Save everyone, Rukia thought dumbly. Everyone was just in the field over. If they died here, nothing would be stopping that Monster from…

She stopped her train of thought.

"How would I even do that?" she asked.

"You trust me," he said grabbing his sword and holding it up in the air, pointing it right at her. Pointing a sword at someone didn't usually inspire trust, but in this case, she was willing to bite. He continued, "but first, I have to ask you something. What's your name?"

She gulped.

"Rukia Orikasa."

"I'm Ichigo Shiba." He ran her through with his sword.

For a second, Rukia thought she was just tricked, and that this was a mercy killing. She thought that Monster, that thing the Spirit called a Hollow, was actually going to rampage across the entire school. She thought that everyone was going to die, and that her brother would be getting a call about how his little adoptive sister died due to mysterious circumstances.

Then, she realized something. She realized that her blood was pumping. She felt full of energy, almost hot, and most importantly, strong. This is what power must feel like, she thought. She took another look at the creature, hissing right at her. A part of her still felt afraid, but another part of her knew that she could do this.

With a sword clutched in her hands she ran towards it faster than she had ever ran before and with a single slice managed to cut through its arm like butter. It let out an ungodly roar, stumbling back. With another well-placed cut to its thigh, it was on the ground, down one foot. She then realized that _this_ is what power must feel like.

"This one is for hurting Renji!" she yelled, before slicing through its head. It disintegrated into nothing.


	2. II

Part I

 _What a weird thing to do._

"Soccer's not weird! It's fun," Rukia said with a pout.

 _But…why play it?_

It was asked so plainly, that Renji visibly drew himself back in surprise. Even Rukia had to stop and think why.

Eventually, Renji gave his answer of, "Well, I'm not really sure, but you do get to play with your friends."

 _Hmph, that sounds fine for you, but I don't have time for things like that._

"Don't have time?" Renji asked incredulously. Then he seemed to realize something. "You mean you don't have friends," he said slyly.

 _I have plenty of friends! Dozens more than you two!_

Rukia let out a loud huff, saying, "Renji, stop bothering him about it. If he doesn't want to play soccer with us, its fine."

 _No…I do._

Expecting as much, a grin crept on Rukia's face. It wasn't too often they got a new teammate. Still, she tried to remember her manners.

"My brother told me I shouldn't play with strangers, though," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "So, what's your name?"

 _Oh! My name is–_

Rukia's eyes snapped open, startled awake by the sound of her alarm clock blaring in her ears. Sitting up, she let out a quiet groan, still half asleep. She was sure she was in the middle of a dream just a moment ago, but she couldn't for the life of her remember what it was about.

Speaking of dreams…

Three days ago, a Hollow attacked her high school, or maybe it didn't. Renji had no memory of the incident, she had no proof. The broken windows had since been replaced, and she was stuck wondering if she somehow imagined the whole incident.

Their teachers seemed to be under the impression that the school had been randomly hit by a meteorite. Apparently, her and Renji had ran off and had gotten hurt by some shrapnel. They were lucky to be alive.

As bizarre as the story sounded, it was definitely less bizarre than what had actually (probably) happened, and it was probably that little piece of reasoning that made Rukia doubt her own memories. Who's to say that she didn't just get hit on the head and dream all of it. After all, the only thing she remembers after leaving a hole in that Hollow's head was being gently prodded awake by her homeroom teacher.

Rukia let out a sigh of frustration. It was all just too confusing! She tore away her covers. Dream or not, she still had to go to school.

This morning, the house was even emptier than usual, her brother having already gone to work. Honestly, it seemed like he was always gone, sometimes. She might have resented him for it had she not figured that he was just a busy man that had to get the money to pay for her school fees and the nice roof over her head somehow.

She tidied her room up, straightening her yellow, bunny patterned sheets. She could almost hear Byakuya in that very room giving her a lecture about organized living spaces and organized minds.

Eventually, with her morning routine finished, she headed down the stairs, the quiet keeping her still sleep clouded mind from rebelling completely. There was something to be appreciated in being in a large empty house in a small quiet neighborhood.

She grabbed her bag and lunch money from the counter and a banana from the pantry to act as her breakfast on-the-go just before she headed out the door for school.

On the path, she noticed Maru's lamppost, now unoccupied. It was a comforting sight really. It let her know that the little Spirit had moved on. She noticed, however, that right at the foot of the lamppost was a now-intact vase, full of fresh flowers.

Part II

Entering her classroom was nothing like going down the stairs of her home. People were chattering, joking, squealing, and even shrieking. Basically, it was a normal day at Karakura High School.

However, right now, normal felt good. She sat down at her desk, half eaten banana in hand, and ended up catching the tail end of a conversation Renji was having with Keigo.

"Come on Renji, you've gotta know something about the newbie!" Keigo pleaded.

Renji scoffed, "Why on Earth would I know him?"

"Because he," Keigo hesitated, before finishing with an eyebrow raise, "ya know."

"I don't." Renji's expression turned sour.

Keigo let out a long huff before coming out with it. "He looks like a delinquent!" Renji froze. Rukia blanched. _That_ was not a wise thing to say, but then again, don't let anyone accuse Keigo of being wise. He explained, "He has that weird hair."

"Are you saying something about me, Asano?" Renji asked that leaning toward Keigo, using his full height advantage. Keigo shrunk back. This was probably going to get entertaining soon.

"What! No, no, no, no," Keigo stammered out. "I wasn't saying anything at all." He really was. "What I mean is that you know?"

Renji's scowl grew deeper. "You keep on saying that, but I don't know."

Keigo was desperately looking for an out, eyes darting toward Rukia. She merely shrugged. He dug his own grave. There wasn't much she could do about it now.

"Wait!" he cried out, sweating slightly. "I think I see him there, just through the window!"

Rukia turned her head there, fully expecting the hall to be empty and for Keigo to be caught in a desperate lie, but sure enough someone had just walked out of her sight. She swore she saw a flash of orange, but she must have been seeing things. She hadn't been getting as much sleep as she should have in the last few days, after all. This new person opened the door.

She almost dropped her banana.

It was _him_. There was literally no doubt that it was him. He had the same orange hair and the same glare. The only difference was that he was wearing a Karakura High School uniform. Suddenly, the likelihood of her not completely dreaming up the events of Monday afternoon was a lot greater.

 _That, or I'm going completely crazy._

Exactly. She could have seen him in passing. Dreamt up a crazy situation of him as a Monster-Fighting Spirit. It wouldn't be the craziest dream she's ever had. There was no need to freak out the new transfer student by being the "psychic wannabe." It was best to just greet him normally.

The bell rung, signaling the start of class, and everyone sat down in their respective seats. The teacher pulled the new student to the front of the class.

"As I am sure many of you are aware," she started with a smile, "this young man will be joining us for the remainder of the school year. Due to extenuating circumstances, he was unable to join us at the very start, but I am sure you will all accept him with open arms. Now, if you could please introduce yourself," she said, gesturing to him.

"Thank you," he said with a bright smile. Dammit, even the voice was familiar. He turned around and begun to write his name. Now, there were a few ways to interpret those characters. Nothing was certain. "I am Ichigo Shiba." Rukia flinched. "I hope we have a pleasant year," he said with a bow.

Rukia couldn't believe it. She couldn't goddamn believe it. She really was going crazy, that was really the only explanation. This was the exact Spirit she saw on Monday, and here he was, walking and talking and being visible like a living, breathing person. He smiled politely, asked questions when needed, gave the correct answers. (All of it rang incredibly phony, by the way.) Rukia thought she was going to be sick. She actually didn't notice when the lunch bell rang.

 _Slam!_

"Rukia!"

"Ahhh!" Rukia screamed. Everyone stared at her. She felt like sinking into the ground. Chizuru seemed unfazed, however. She was standing over Rukia, both hands on her desk, looking desperate.

"You were staring an awful lot at that new kid," Chizuru said accusingly. She continued, eyes wide and hands clasped, "Is there something he has that I don't!"

She felt relieved when people went back to…whatever they were doing. As for Chizuru's question, technically she could think of a few things (not including the katana and ability to slay monsters) but mentioning those would not only give the wrong idea, it would probably be rude, too.

"It's not like that," Rukia whispered. "It's just…" she tried to find the right words. "I guess I had this weird dream, and he was in it." And it may not have been a dream.

"A dream!" Chizuru gasped out. She despaired, "You were dreaming about him." Her face then took on a look of utmost seriousness. "To think," she started, "that this man has only been for a day, yet your heart has already been taken by him. I suppose I should just throw in the towel."

Rukia's eyes widened. She supposed, that from Chizuru's perspective that would sound pretty bad.

"It's not like that," Rukia insisted. "I barely even know him!"

"Well, we may not have known each other for long," it was him, it was him, of course it was him, "but sometimes…it feels like a lifetime." Rukia immediately turned her head up toward the Spirit, Shiba, as she guesses she should call him. He's flashing her a smug smile. He continues, "Sorry but could I borrow her for a second?"

Before Rukia can so much as get a word out, he's grabbing her by the shoulder and pulling her just outside of the classroom. To an outsider, it doesn't look like much, but she can feel his steadfast grip.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" seethed Rukia. He took her further and further away from the class.

"The 'big idea' is that we need to have a little talk," he said with a scowl. He dragged her all the way outside to the back of the building. It was basically abandoned, save for a group of second years sitting in a circle not far from them.

"Hey!" Shiba yelled, kicking the railing. "Scram!" The second years took one look at Shiba, tall, scowling, intimidating, and looking like he was itching for a fight. They ran off in less than a second, startled looks on all of their faces. He turned to face Rukia with basically the same exact look. She'd like to think it didn't intimidate her.

"Aren't you going to say something?" she asked. He just stared at her, an unreadable expression on his face. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

He finally asked, "You remember Monday, right?"

Rukia bit her lip. She hesitated for a long moment, thinking that hey, maybe if everyone else forgot about it, she should to? It might just save her the headache of whatever he's obviously trying to ask of her.

Instead, she said, "Yes." Shiba let out a long sigh.

"Good," he said, leaning against the wall. "Then I won't shock you when I say I lost my powers." Rukia blinked.

"What?" She thought she knew what he meant but, "you mean your sword?"

Rolling his eyes, Shiba said, "Yes, my sword." Rukia bit back a retort.

"Wait," she said, pointing a finger at him. "You told me that I was 'borrowing' your powers. Why haven't they gone back yet?"

"They were _supposed_ to," he said, levelling a glare at her.

"Hey, you're acting as if it's my fault!" Rukia exclaimed indignantly.

He took a long look at her, glancing from head to toe before saying, "It's not, probably."

"Then just take them back," Rukia said through gritted teeth.

"If I could do that," he said condescendingly, "then don't you think I would have tried already, shorty." Rukia glowered. Of all the pricks she's ever known… "For now," he continued, "I'm stuck in this Gigai, which is a fake body for Shinigami, in case you were wondering." He said this casually, like that was supposed to explain everything.

"Wait, wait, wait," Rukia said holding a hand up. "Gigai? Shinigami? You're going to have to slow down a bit."

He let out a long-suffering sigh, the asshole, before starting, "A Shi-ni-ga-mi," he over-pronounced every syllable as if he were talking to a toddler, "is a Spirit that kills Hollows, you know, that monster you fought three days ago? You," he said this taking a step toward her, "took my Shinigami powers. Now, I can't kill Hollows. I can't do my job." He ended his tirade with the harshest glare Rukia had seen from him, yet.

"What the hell do you want me to do about it?" Rukia asked, nose turned up. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'm serious!" she exclaimed. "I've spent the last three days as a normal person, no powers, mostly just… _math homework_!"

"Normal, huh?" he said with smirk. "Newsflash shorty, normal people don't see Spirits."

"Th-that's entirely irrelevant!" she stuttered out.

Shiba's shoulders sagged, and he muttered, more to himself than anything, "I can't believe I have to deal with this," as he rummaged through his pockets before pulling out a red fingerless glove with a strange skull symbol. "You may want to hold your breath," he said, pulling it onto his hand. Before Rukia even had time to react, his open palm connected with her forehead, and she tumbled back a good meter. She landed flat on her back.

"What the hell was that for…" she groaned, pushing herself up. She didn't care if he outweighed her by a whole thirty kilograms, she _will_ –

The first thing her eyes connected to was…her. She was lying on the ground, eyes closed like she was asleep, but she was also right here, sitting up and looking at _her_.

"You just…!" Rukia couldn't even get words out right now, she was so shocked.

"Just as I thought," Shiba said, pocketing the glove. "It's your Soul that's got my power, not your body."

Looking down at herself, Rukia could see she was wearing that same black kimono and hakama that she wore when she killed the Hollow, that Shiba wore when she first saw him. An impractically large sword was strapped to her back, but more notable was the power that she felt then. It was back in full force, buzzing just beneath her skin.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Shiba dragging her still body away and stuffing it into an unlocked sports club shed like he had just finished committing a murder. She gaped. He walked away like nothing was wrong. She had to jog toward him to catch up.

"Wouldn't it be bad if someone found me like that?" she asked with a skeptical look on her face. Well, it wouldn't be "her" per say, but rather her body and oh boy this situation was getting too strange even for her tastes.

"Naw, humans usually don't ask questions." Rukia somehow doubted that. "Come on, we gotta go." He proceeded to walk quickly right out of the school gates without even waiting for an answer.

"Where?" she asked, having to pick up her own pace. Why did the guy have such freakishly long legs?

"I'm not sure. I don't know this town too well, but its close."

"'It?'" Rukia's eyes widened. "You mean a Hollow?"

"Uh, yeah," Shiba said, nodding his head. She still remembered the last one she came across, inhumanly strong and with a thirst for blood.

"If we're fighting one of those things, shouldn't we try and do better than 'not sure?'" Rukia felt like she was freaking out here. Deep breaths. She had to take deep breaths. "And do you know where you're going or not?"

"Kinda," he said offhandedly. Digging into his pockets, he pulled out a simple cellphone. "Think fast." He tossed it to her.

Rukia was able to pause her racing thoughts just in time to catch the phone in her hand, despite the awkward angle it was thrown it. She flipped it open and took a look at the already blinking display.

 _20m_

 _12:00pm_

 _-15min_

"What does all this mean?" she asked, squinting at it.

"Those are some directions to a Hollow that's going to attack. Within fifteen minutes of twelve o'clock, in a twenty-meter radius of here." He took the time then to glance around the area, Rukia's own eyes following. This was a park that Rukia saw children frequent all the time. Right now, it was pretty much abandoned, though, a nearby play structure baking in the sun. There wasn't anything remarkable here at all, but if Shiba could sense something… "Are there any Spirits that are in this area?" he asked.

Rukia didn't even have to think about it. "There's a little boy Spirit. I've noticed him playing here once or twice."

"Well, now we know the Hollow's target," Shiba said with a scowl. Rukia was taken aback.

"Hollow's target? You don't mean…" But she knew he did. "It's after the little Spirit, and you want me to stop it?"

"Yeah." He said plainly. "Like I said, I can't do my job, so you're going to have to do it for me."

"I-I…" Rukia stammered. Before she could string together anything resembling a sentence, she felt that horrible presence for the second time in her life. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She also heard a little boy scream.

"Rukia!" Shiba yelled. His eyes had a different look in them, entirely. This one spoke of desperation. That was all the prompting she needed to spring forward and run towards the sound of the shrieking boy.

He was on the ground, just behind the swing set trying desperately to crawl away. Above him, the Hollow looked down, tongue darting out over its bone-white lips. It looked much different from the other. Two of its eight legs gripped the swing structure, causing it to creak under its weight, which was equal if not greater than the one from Monday. It reared back like it was about to strike, and Rukia ran forward before she even knew what she was doing.

She stood in just above the little boy, holding her sword straight in the air, piercing through the Hollow's tongue. She sliced left, cutting it off entirely.

The Hollow let out a garbled shriek, stumbling backward, a long spindly arm swinging toward her. She turned, and grabbed the boy in her arms, jumping out of its path. He clung to the front of her Kimono tightly. She moved her Katana to her free hand, thinking somewhere in the back of her mind that it was odd she had no trouble lifting a blade that was easily just as big as her.

The Hollow barreled for them all eight of its legs thumping loudly against the ground, but this time Rukia didn't move. She felt as the boy buried his face into her chest, crying, and she waited for just the right moment.

 _Closer…Closer…Closer…There!_

The moment she could almost feel the Hollow's breath she sliced upward, cutting through its mask easily. Just like the last one, it disintegrated before it's body could even touch her.

The boy was still cowering, head buried in black fabric. She couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in her heart. He was what, five, six?

"Hey!" she urged softly. "It's okay, it's all over, now."

She couldn't help but laugh as the boy slowly turned his head, searching with just one eye for the Hollow. She could feel his body sag in relief just before he carefully extracted himself from her. There were still some tears in his eyes, but he was smiling, now.

"Thank you, Miss," he said, rubbing a hand under his eye. He was looking up at her with more admiration than had ever been directed at her before. Rukia was blushing when she slid her sword into the sheath on her back. She let him down.

"You're welcome," she said quietly. Then a little louder, she said, joking, "Now, try not to get into any more trouble, okay?"

He giggled, sheepish before saying, "I will!" Rukia gave him one last pat on the head before he ran off into the trees, probably looking for something else to do. He sure was resilient, Rukia would give him that.

During this whole interaction, Shiba was looking at her from the sidelines, curious. Rukia turned to him, glaring.

"There!" she said, crossing her arms "I did your job, happy? Mind letting me go so I don't miss class entirely?" She didn't wait for him to answer, though. She just stomped off in the right direction, and he followed, silent. It was actually a little unnerving.

Shiba took his time in saying something, going blocks before he finally said, "That kid wasn't the only one, you know?"

Rukia frowned. She knew.

"There are Hollows everywhere," he continued, "and every single one of them are looking to sink their teeth into whatever poor Soul they find." He said this all, slowly and carefully letting every word sink in. Then, he smirked. "I was my job to stop them, but…" He was looking up in the air as if to say _but I'll never find anyone like that._ Rukia rolled her eyes. She got it, okay.

"I'll do it," she groaned out. Shiba grinned victoriously. The next thing she said, she almost whispered. "I do owe you, after all."

This, Shiba didn't understand, and it was plain by the look on his face. Rukia knew she'd have to explain. She turned, facing him.

"Listen," she started. "You gave me your powers because I distracted you enough to get you hurt. The whole situation was my fault from the beginning, so I owe you this much." She finished the statement staring at her feet. She took one deep breath and continued, "Besides, you helped me save my friend."

Her eyes snapped back to him in that moment. He was giving her that smug smile that just pissed her off.

"But!" she exclaimed, taking one step toward him, "this is just me repaying a debt. I'm not here to play hero, I'm here to complete a transaction." Like signing a deal with a bank or a client. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Shiba snorted.

"Yeah, yeah," he chuckled out, "keep telling yourself that, shorty." He turned and started walking off.

She chased after him yelling, "Oh, I've had it with the 'shorties!'"

Part III

Rukia was back in her body, which luckily wasn't discovered comatose and holed up in a shed while they were gone, within the hour, and after a few more, class was over, and everyone was sent home.

She walked back home like she did with Renji every evening, but this time, she felt off. She waved goodbye when he reached his turn, and she felt like a liar. She was used to telling Renji everything, but here, she wasn't even sure if she was allowed to say anything. Ichigo, and yes, she was going to use his first name if he insisted so heavily on using hers, had explained how he altered the memories of any who witnessed the incident, how it's just standard procedure for those without any Spiritual Abilities when they come across something strange, and she understood, but she wished–

"Rukia!" Ichigo popped from behind a corner like a twisted parody of a jack in the box.

"Shit!" Rukia shrieked. Ichigo just chuckled.

"Has anyone ever told you that you startle really easily?" he asked with a smirk. She didn't even dignify the question with a response.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed out.

He started casually, "I figured that since you took my powers and you still need training to use them properly, I should keep close." Rukia didn't like the sound of that.

"How close are we talking, here?" she asked suspiciously.

"I was thinking of staying at your place!" he said with a grin.

"No." His face fell.

"Why not?"

"Because," she said, eyeing her house in the distance, "I have an older brother that wouldn't appreciate it if I started bringing strange men home to stay the night." She picked up her pace. Hopefully he would give up on his own.

He instead suggested, "I could talk to him."

"I seriously doubt you could say anything to convince him," she deadpanned. "What was wrong with where you've been staying for the last three days, anyway?" she asked accusingly.

"I told you," he said exasperatedly, "it's important for me to stay close to you for your training."

Rukia gave him a flat look and said, "I think I'm fine without the training. You told me I had to do your job. I'm doing it just fine." She dug her keys from her bag and unlocked the door, hoping the nuisance would go away. She saw her brother's shoes next to the ledge. He must have been back already.

"I'm home, brother!" she called out. Okay, she seriously doubted he would say yes to Ichigo staying, but she also figured that she'd have to introduce them to each other sometime. She could imagine they'd be seeing a lot of Ichigo in the near future.

Ichigo, right now was standing in the doorway, quiet, eyes wide.

"I…uh…" he stammered, eyes shifting. "Actually, I have to go." He closed the door quickly.

Rukia darted forward, wrenching open the door. She wasn't sure what she was going to say, what she was going to call out, but by the time she stepped outside, there was no Ichigo in sight to say it to. She stepped back inside.

"Sorry," she told Byakuya just before shucking off her shoes. "I don't really know what got into him."

Her brother was sitting on the couch going over a large binder full of documents. His expression was unreadable, and Rukia wasn't even sure if he ever saw Ichigo or not.

"What?" he asked, looking a little lost. "It's alright," he said. He then went back to his work. It wasn't mentioned for the rest of the evening, but that didn't mean it wasn't on Rukia's mind.


	3. III

**Sorry for the short chapter, but hopefully the vast amounts of text I'll be dumping here over the next couple of months will more than make up for it. Now that we're a few chapters in, though, I would like to know what some of you think. Leave a review. Tell me if you love it, tell me if you hate it. It's all good.**

* * *

Part I

"A cursed parakeet?" Renji asked with a sneer. "What kinda fool do you take me for, Shigeo?"

"I don't, honest!" Shigeo said, shaking his head furiously. "It's just the word on the street, is all."

Ide added, "Yeah, apparently, all of its previous owners died or something. It got passed to me but," a flash of fear showed on his face, "I don't know about taking care of a cursed bird."

Renji rubbed his temples asking, "Why did you come to me, then?"

"I just thought," Ide said sheepishly, "that since you're always talking about weird stuff like this, you'd know what's up, maybe take it off my hands." He said this, raising the sheet that was draped over the bird's cage right next to him, and Renji got a good look at the bird. It was a cockatiel, if he remembered his birds right. It had pure white feathers and bright red cheeks. It cocked its head at Renji curiously, and he couldn't help but think it was pretty cute.

"I guess I could ask around…" He said, reaching for the bird. The second he grasped the handle, he heard a rumble. He looked up in the alleyway they were sitting in, saw a shadow of something, and before he could even think, he was shoving the two boys to the ground, cage in hand.

 _CLANG!_

"Holy shit!" Ide yelled. He was pale and shaking, pointing right behind Renji. He looked back and there was a bent ten-foot-long support beam, lying right where they were just sitting. He looked down at the cage in his hand.

"You guys alright?" he asked shakily.

"Yes, thank you!" A voice said, too high pitched to be either Shigeo or Ide, and those two were probably still too busy panicking to even say anything. He looked down to the only other thing with him, the cockatiel. It cocked its head, still looking at him, and then opened its beak and said, "My name is Yūichi Shibata." Renji paled. "What's your name mister?"

And the bird was talking. The bird was talking _to him_. Would this be the weirdest thing that's ever happened to him. The fact that he wasn't sure definitely said something about his life.

In the end though, he really felt he had no choice but to answer, "My name's Renji Abarai."

"Don't tell me your talking to the bird now, Renji," Shigeo said nervously.

"This is getting weirder and weirder by the second," Ide groaned. Renji ignored both of them and weighed his options.

Taking home a cursed bird that had definitely almost caused his demise right then and there was probably not a good idea, but then again, if anyone could handle such a thing… Yeah, the first person that comes to mind is Rukia, but he's a close second. He was tough enough and could at least ask Rukia if this was some kind of Spirit nonsense. Besides, the little guy just thanked him for saving his life. It wasn't like he could just leave him out in the cold, now.

"I'll take this off your hands, guys," Renji decided, getting to his feet, cage in hand. The bird was still looking up at him intently. "But now," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I gotta go. Curfew, and all." The sun was already half-way set.

"See you around, man," Ide muttered. As he was walking away, Renji heard him say to himself, "Definitely not gonna sleep tonight…" He guessed that was fair.

The neighborhood Renji lived in was not bad. Sure, it had a reputation, and most here had a lower income that average, but it wasn't bad. He knew just about everyone that lived here, including Ide and Shigeo, and they were nice people, just trying to get by. Ide may be kind of twitchy, and Shigeo may be a bit of a shithead sometimes, but they were still good people, and as for the neighborhood itself, it was cleaner than most would expect, with only the occasional tag.

"Where are we going?" the bird asked. Yeah, it was weird answering a bird, but it wasn't like Renji could just ignore him.

"We're going to my apartment," he explained, "and you're gonna have to stay quiet, kay?" His mom would be in by now, probably making dinner. That reminded him. "Hey, what do talking birds eat, anyway?"

The bird, and Renji supposed it would be rude to just think of him as "the bird", so Yūichi tilted his head to the left and then to the right, considering before finally answering, "Most people just fed me bread."

Bread. He could get bread.

"I think we have some in the kitchen," Renji said, stopping at the crosswalk. Not too many cars were going by, but there were just enough there that he knew it wasn't smart to just try and book it across the road. Plus, crossing without paying attention while carrying a cursed bird was just asking for trouble.

As if reading his thoughts, Yūichi said sullenly, "The person you were with was right, you know." He let out a sigh. "Everyone who's had me has died. Maybe you should just leave me here."

All that self-depreciation made Renji's heart sink. The bird sounded downright depressed. He had to reassure him, somehow.

"Believe it or not," Renji started confidently, "I've dealt with some weird stuff before. I've even got a friend that might be able to figure out this curse you've got."

"But it's not a curse!" Yūichi whined. Renji blinked.

"What do you mean, not a curse?" Renji asked, and just as he thought Yūichi was going to respond, he felt a large hand push at his back with just enough force to send him stumbling into the street. He fell onto his hands and knees, saw an SUV, approach, horn honking and lights blaring, and just managed to get one hand on the cage and roll away. It missed him by centimeters.

It took a minute for Renji to realize that his heart was pounding in his chest, even as he got himself clear to the other side of the road. The bird doesn't know what he's talking about. There's definitely some kind of curse on him. That's what goes through his head when he thinks about how he almost died just a second ago.

"Are you alright?" Yūichi asked quietly.

"Yeah," Renji said, gulping. "Maybe we should hurry home." He looked down to see if Yūichi would respond. He wouldn't meet his eyes.

It only took a few tension filled minutes for Renji to get to the front door of his apartment, Room 1C. He dug his keys out of his pocket and opened the door.

"Hey, Mom, I'm back," he called into the apartment.

"Hey, Renji," she said, popping her head out of the closet with an easy smile on her face. She stuck her head back in. "I'm just putting the kotatsu away. It's been getting pretty hot these last few days." With one mighty shove, she finished up and shut the door.

Miné Abarai was a vivacious young woman in her early thirties. She was speckled with various tattoos, all across her arms and legs, and every single one of them had a story that she could bother you with for hours. Renji had her bright red hair, her brown eyes, and even her long limbs.

"There was this great sale for Taiyaki," she said with a smile, approaching him. As she got a good look at him, her smile fell to a look of confusion. "Why do you have a bird?" she asked.

Shit, Renji needed to think fast. He was terrible at lying on the spot!

"I'm looking after it," he said carefully, "for Rukia." He tried to keep a straight face.

"For Rukia?" His mother asked with a raised eyebrow. "Her brother let her have a bird?" Abort mission, she wasn't buying it.

"No," he said. He might be able to save this. "Not yet, anyway. That's why I have to keep it, for now."

His mom hesitated for a moment, studying him, trying to decide whether she would believe her son or not. In the end, she just sighed, shrugged her shoulders, and said, "As long as it doesn't make too much noise…We do have neighbors, after all."

"Got it!" he said, not wasting a single moment to start rushing to his room. Then, he remembered the Taiyaki. Trying to escape from being caught in a lie or not, there was not way he was letting that go to waste. He quickly grabbed a piece from the fridge, remembering to swipe a slice of bread for Yūichi.

"Thank you!" he said, just before he escaped to his room and closed the door.

He placed the bird on his desk letting out a little sigh of relief. He'd made it. He'd survived the curse and his mom. He carefully slid the slice of bread through the bars of the cage.

"Here you go," he said. Yūichi swooped down on the bread with a little flap of his wings, and Renji watched him happily peck at it. He doubted Ide ever thought to feed the poor thing. It could be starving for all he knew.

His mind went back to his earlier thought of whether this was the oddest situation he'd ever found himself in. It made the top five, that was certain. He had a bird that can talk locked up in a cage in his room, and on top of that, he wasn't even sure if anyone else could hear it. He only hoped Rukia would know what to make of it.

Part II

"I really don't know what to make of this," Rukia said, leaning back from the cage she was just studying. Confusion was plain on her face. Great, Renji thought.

He, Rukia, Keigo, Mizuiro, and even the new kid were all sitting on the roof during their lunch break. They were the only ones up there, which was great because Renji didn't want to get any strange stares when he had to start explaining his talking bird.

"Well, I know what to make of it," Keigo said confidently. "Renji managed to train his bird to talk! I didn't even know you had a bird." He said this, peering into the cage a grin on his face as he wiggled his finger at Yūichi. The bird looked a little uncomfortable.

"Nice to meet you," Mizuiro said with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you, too!" Yūichi said brightly. Keigo clapped.

On the other side of the roof, Ichigo was leaning his head over the railing. He took one look at Rukia and jerked his head over.

"Sorry," she told Renji, a little confused. He didn't even hear her, really, and she quietly slipped away to Ichigo. He looked pensive.

"Consider this a part of your training," he said with a sideways glance. "Can you sense anything from that bird?"

"Sense something?" Every day, Rukia seemed to be finding out new odd things that made a Shinigami a Shinigami. She knew already you could sense a specific presence from Hollows, that if you got really good you could sense them from a distance and even know things like how powerful they were, but this was still the first time she was asked to specifically try and find something. "Okay," she said. She closed her eyes and tried to just feel.

Rukia wasn't really sure what she was looking for, something odd in the air, maybe. Still, she had a feeling that when she sensed it, she would know.

 _Bingo!_

She felt a tiny…something, coming from that bird. It was a small thud, a warm pulsing, almost like a heartbeat, it was…

"Human," she said, finally. Ichigo nodded, and she suddenly realized what she had just found. "That's not a bird," she said, "that's a person."

"Well," Ichigo started, "there's definitely some bird in there, but yes, that is a Human Soul."

Rukia let out a sigh, saying, "Then there's no problem, right? Eventually the Soul will just pass on, and all's well that ends well." That's what always happened with the Human Souls she came across.

Ichigo's tight expression said otherwise. "I wish that were the case," he said with a frown, "but Human Souls don't just pop into bird bodies, and they certainly don't just fall out. We need to investigate." He was still looking at the bird, and at Renji, studying them carefully with quickly narrowing eyes. Something else was wrong.

"Do you think you know how this happened?" Rukia asked carefully.

Ichigo shook his head before saying, "No, not really, but I do know that your friend reeks of Hollow." That was exactly what Rukia was afraid of.

Part III

"Out you go, little guy," Renji said as he unlatched Yūichi's cage. The poor bird had been stuck hidden in Renji's locker all day, and before that, who knew how long he'd been cooped up in this little cage. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he needed to stretch out his wings.

"I haven't been out of this cage in ages!" Yūichi cried happily, hopping out quickly. He took one more happy step before with a flap of his wings, he begun flying around the room, circling once then twice, before settling on Renji's bed, ruffling his feathers and settling in. He was a picture of pure bliss.

Renji said, trying to seem casual, "As long as you don't make a mess, you can stay out as long as you'd like." The bird's face seemed to light up.

"Really?" he asked excitedly. Renji nodded, cracking open his textbook and seeing if he could get any work done.

Why did math have to be so complicated in High School, he wondered. It didn't make sense when it was just numbers and letters, and it certainly didn't make sense now. All these weird special equations he had to memorize just gave him a headache. Maybe he could use the distraction?

"Hey," he called to Yūichi. The bird quickly flew over to hop onto his desk. He cocked his head, ready for whatever Renji had to say. Resisting the sudden urge to scratch his chin, because _boy was that cute_ , he instead asked his question, "How do you do that anyway? Talk, I mean."

Yūichi's expression immediately changed. He wilted before Renji's very eyes, head hung low. He had a feeling that this story wasn't a happy one.

After a moment more, the bird finally said, "I've always been able to talk, but I wasn't always a bird. I used to be a person." Renji tried to school his reaction, but he wasn't sure how well he did. This was…shocking. "I was just a kid living with my mommy, but then…" Yūichi's voice cracked. His wings started trembling. If he weren't a bird, Renji was sure he'd be sobbing, now. Still, he continued, "A bad man came and killed her. When he came for me, I reached down and grabbed his shoes. He fell down, off the building, and didn't get up again, but later, he came back."

"Came back?" Renji asked quietly. "You mean he was a Spirit?" Yūichi shook his head.

"He looked like a monster," Yūichi said, voice trembling, "but it was him." Renji wasn't quite following, but he didn't interrupt the boy to ask. "He said he could bring my mommy back to life if I ran from him for three months like this, as a bird, but it's barely been one month and so many people have already been killed because of me." Yūichi's voice broke off at the very last moment. He was trembling again, crying, and Renji had no idea what to do.

Renji was never very good with kids, much less…this, but he knew he had to try. He hesitantly reached out, patting Yūichi gently on the head with one finger, the same way he'd seen other birds be pet. For a moment, Yūichi froze, but soon enough, he stopped shaking, and seemed to lean into the touch.

For a while, they stayed like that, quiet in his tiny room. Yūichi was just trying to calm himself, and Renji, well, Renji was going over the story in his head. It was an odd one, and pieces seemed to be missing, but weirdly enough, he knew he believed the kid, and he knew that if he were in this kid's position he'd be feeling pretty terrified, too.

When the kid seemed calm enough, he finally asked, "Yūichi, when you say that man turned into a monster, what did you mean? What was he?"

The boy sniffed once, and then twice, searching for the words.

He finally said, "He was hollow."

Part IV

Not far outside of Renji's apartment, on a roof across the street, crouched Rukia and Ichigo, the latter of which was peering through a pair of binoculars.

"I don't think anything weird's going on," he said, looking carefully. He handed them to Rukia. "Here, you take a look."

Now, Rukia never really thought that hunting Hollows would ever include spying on her best friend through a pair of binoculars, and she was honestly still wondering why Ichigo even had these, but it wasn't as if she were going to question him on the subject. He probably wouldn't give her a straight answer, anyway.

She took the binoculars from his hand and took a look for herself, studying closely, trying to look through the window. The bird was just hopping around the room. Renji was nearby reading something on his desk. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary going on, just as there hadn't been for the last hour.

Looking away, she asked with exasperation, "You are positive it's a Hollow, right?" Because she was really starting to doubt it. This just seemed like regular Spirit nonsense to her, even if the whole situation of boy possessing bird was stretching the definition of "regular," and with Ichigo's powers on the fritz, it was possible that the Shinigami was wrong.

"Hey," he snapped, pulling on her ear, "who's the trained Hollow killer, again? Was it the fourteen-year-old human girl, or was it me?"

"Ow!" she yelled. "It was an honest question, and I'm sixteen!" she finished angrily.

"Tch!" Ichigo scoffed, finally letting go. "When you've lived as long as I have, kid, it doesn't make a difference."

 _Really? "Kid?"_

It certainly did raise a question, though, and Rukia asked, nursing her sore ear, "How old are you, anyway?"

Ichigo paused. His eyebrows furrowed, and he mumbled to himself, as if he had to do calculus just to figure it out.

"Time works differently in the Soul Society," he finally said, "but…three hundred and twelve?"

Rukia's jaw almost dropped.

She was thinking he might be "just a bit older than he looks," not literal centuries older than her. He certainly didn't act like it. He spoke like the delinquent everyone thought he might be, and the most "other worldly" thing about him was his hair. Rukia just shook her head. No wonder he thought of her as a kid.

"Hey, I just told you I was over three hundred years old, human," Ichigo said with an insecure smile. "Aren't you gonna say something?" She just smirked to herself and looked through the binoculars again.

Renji was had just turned off his lights and closed his curtains. Maybe they've been here for longer than she first thought?

"I think he's going to bed," Rukia said to Ichigo. He let out a quiet sigh.

"Then I sure hope you aren't tired yet. He may be going to sleep, but your job's just begun, shorty."

Rukia glared at Ichigo, a deep frown on her face as she set down the binoculars. This was going to be a very long night, wasn't it?


	4. IV

**See, I told you I'd make up for last week! See end for an important update!**

* * *

Part I

Standing in front of the vending machine, Rukia rubbed her eyes for what was probably the fifth time. According to her brother, it was something that she did a lot when she was incredibly exhausted, and boy, right now did she feel dead on her feet. She stared at the selections for another solid minute, trying to make the symbols on the keys make sense, before she finally got what she wanted so badly, coffee.

She sighed blissfully at the first sip. She had almost passed out in class too many times to count! This was all, of course, Ichigo's fault. He had her sat out in front of Renji's bedroom window all goddamn night, waiting for a threat that never came. Her only solace was seeing Ichigo stomp by that moment, bags under his eyes, and seeming like he would murder anyone who looked at him funny.

He walked right at her, took one look at her, and leaned heavily against the vending machine, looking defeated. Rukia chuckled, and he didn't even have the energy to glare at her for it.

Still, seeing him like that, it did send a pang of sympathy through her. She got out her wallet again, put a few more coins in the machine, and got another coffee. She held it in front of Ichigo.

"Drink up," she said, shaking it slightly. He took the can from her tentatively before turning it over a few times in his hands, inspecting it.

"I've seen these around. Coffee, right?" In fact, it was Rukia's favorite. This was Pokka Milk Coffee, Vanilla flavored. It wasn't too strong or bitter, but it still had just the right kick. Ichigo turned the coffee right side up, and then stared at the shiny metal top as if it were a puzzle he had to unlock.

"Do you want me to help you with that?" she offered.

"No, no," he insisted. "I can figure it out." Considering how he was poking at the top, testing every fixture to see which one the magic key to opening the can would be, he couldn't figure it out, and with an eyeroll, Rukia snatched the can away from him. She flipped the tab and handed it back to him, opened. He accepted it with a bitter frown.

At first, he hesitated, but after a moment, he quickly took a gulp of the coffee. It was sweet, yet bitter, and his face scrunched up reflexively.

Giggling, Rukia explained, "Coffee's an acquired taste. I didn't really like it either, at first." He nodded grimly, before taking another longer sip. "Not bad." After that, he gulped down the rest of the can in one go. Rukia watched with wide eyes.

"Actually, that was pretty good," he said appreciatively, tossing the empty can into the trash. He looked a bit more awake, at least. "I wish we had this stuff over at the Soul Society."

Ichigo had never really talked about his home, the Soul Society, and Rukia only had a vague idea about what it even was. She was actually pretty curious.

"What's the Soul Society like?" she asked him. Ichigo seemed surprised, like it wasn't a question he was ever expecting.

"Well," he started, "I guess everything there's…older." Not very descriptive, but at least it was something. She waited for him to continue. "The people, the buildings, some of them have been there for centuries, and you can kind of tell. It's where Souls go to find peace, and some of them actually manage it. They make families and find ways to keep on living. Above them all stand the Shinigami. We keep the peace."

Rukia supposed that made sense, but, "Doesn't that seem kind of cold to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the place sounds nice, but what you said about Shinigami sounds completely wrong."

"And how would you know?" he asked with a scowl.

Cradling her coffee, she said, "I remembered what you said when you asked me to be a Shinigami. You weren't asking me to keep the peace, you were asking me to save people, even if you didn't say it in those exact words."

Ichigo looked at her after that, eyes wide, and before she knew it, he was laughing, so loud and so hard that he was gripping his sides before too long. Rukia's face turned red. She didn't think she said anything that silly.

"Maybe you're right," he said, giggled dying down. "Just don't tell my superiors, okay?"

Before Rukia could say something else, maybe even ask him who he was talking about, a buzz sounded from Ichigo's phone. He flipped it open. It could only mean one thing.

"There's a Hollow," he said.

"Do you think it's the one we're looking for?"

"We can't be sure," he said, taking a closer look at the directions. "Let's go."

They ran out as quickly as they could, Rukia ditching her body at the first safe place she found and headed out of the school gates. A part of her hoped she wouldn't be late for the next period, but she knew that was the least of their problems.

They ran at a breakneck pace down the road, following Ichigo's directions. She recognized the neighborhood they were in. It was Renji's. She paled, picking up the pace. She only hoped they weren't too late. They turned the corner and saw Renji's apartment.

It was fine. Not a single thing was out of place. Rukia felt herself slow down a bit, confused. The place was peaceful, many people weren't even home. There was an old man reading a paper and a complete lack of giant bloodthirsty monsters.

"It's up ahead!" Ichigo called out, still running. Rukia chased after him. She still had a job to do.

The directions brought them straight to an industrial park, in the end. Where a Hollow was mindlessly tearing at abandoned trucks of the poor people that worked there.

She pulled out her katana. Nothing was very special about this creature. It crawled around on all fours and screeched at her the second its eyes caught her. It came right for her.

Rukia dove out of the way of its gnashing teeth, rolling onto the dusty ground. She got back up on her feet as quickly as possible, and started running around it, heading left.

The thing was fast, she'd give it that much. It turned around with her, slamming its hand down trying to catch her, and just barely missing each time. She moved, heading right for the bare steel frame of a building. There was plenty of loose rebar overhead. Perfect.

She weaved through the structure, silently goading it forward. It was just a little too big to maneuver comfortably for the creature and it got caught against a support beam ever other step. She could tell it was getting frustrated. It started growling and hissing, hitting the structure harder and harder, when finally, it did just what Rukia intended. All its struggles loosened a pile of suspended rebar just above it.

A long series of clanging metal later, and the creature was dazed. It stumbled for a moment, stepping back once, before falling.

"Got you," Rukia said, approaching carefully. She didn't want to give it enough time to recover, though. Before it could even make a sound, she sliced its mask open. It disintegrated.

"That was a little too easy," she said, sheathing her sword. She turned to Ichigo. His phone was beeping again.

"What, another one?" she asked, shocked.

"Yeah, but…" He trailed off, and the beeping stopped. He shook the phone for a minute, striking it against his hand. "Huh."

"What was that?"

"I'm not really sure," he said, a perplexed look on his face. He struggled with it for a moment before letting out a long sigh, pocketing the phone. Rukia stared out to the Hollow she had just defeated.

"That was it, right?" she asked, turning to him. "That was the Hollow you were talking about." Ichigo shook his head. Dammit.

"A Hollow that can put the Soul of a boy into the body of a bird wouldn't be that weak. We need to stay alert now more than ever."

Rukia nodded but didn't feel good about it. She'd been nothing but alert for the past twenty-four hours. She hurried back to school. At least she wasn't late.

She walked into the main building, Ichigo right behind her, mere minutes before the class bell was going to ring, and she let out a sigh of relief. She was just about to walk into her classroom, when she realized something.

 _Where's my bag?_

She must have left it, she thinks. She was in such a rush to get back, that she must have left it! She thinks back to where it could possibly be.

She guessed that where she left her body for today would be a pretty good start. If not that, then maybe where she had lunch, or at the vending machines, or–

"Hey, I think you left this." A hand was holding her bag right in front of her. Looking up, she could see Renji, looking a little perplexed.

"Thanks," she sighed out, taking the bag. She brought it to her chest, holding it tightly.

"It's no big deal," he said, looking away. He was shifting around, like something was on his mind, and Rukia wasn't sure if she wanted to know. "You've been acting pretty strange, lately," he finally says.

"Strange, how?" Rukia asks, trying to sound confused.

"Like, you've been running off with Shiba a lot," he explained, "and…I don't know, it just seems like something's up."

"I…" she trailed off. "It's nothing, really, but thanks for worrying."

He looked at her, looking hurt, looking like he maybe wanted to say something else.

"If you say so," he said. He walked in the class. The bell rang.

Part II

Heading out from school that day, Rukia felt on edge. Everything about her earlier fight felt…wrong. Nothing was wrong inherently, per say, but the fact that this case still wasn't solved, the strange presence at the end, and everything else surrounding it, that was strange. Still, there just wasn't much she could do about it.

She also couldn't stop thinking about Renji and that hurt look on his face after she looked him right in the eye and lied. The whole thing just made her stomach hurt.

"Rukia!" A voice called out. Ichigo was running straight for her, pulling on his walking shoes. His phone was buzzing.

"What is it this time?" she asked.

"This might be the one," he said. "It's close to where the last one attacked."

Rukia's hands tightened on her bag.

"Then we have to head over to Renji's right now. Who knows what that Hollow's doing."

"Why are you heading to my apartment?" Rukia paled and turned around. Behind them stood Renji.

"He was just talking about the new coffee shop that might be heading near your place, right Ichigo?" The words sounded weak, even to her, but she had to try. If there was one thing that Rukia didn't want, it was for Renji to get involved. Last time he had been caught in the crossfire of a Hollow fight he almost died. She didn't want to try for a second time. Sadly, she wouldn't be that lucky.

"No," he said, frowning, "I heard you say something about a Hollow. If one's going to my place, Yūichi could be in danger, my mom could be in danger." Renji's looked panicked, scared, but determined.

"You know what a Hollow is?" Rukia asked. She thought his memories had been wiped.

He waved her off saying, "Yūichi explained it to me. It doesn't matter. We're going." Rukia knew that tone, she knew that right now, there wasn't much anyone could do to stop him, but dammit…

"Renji, these things are dangerous," she tried to explain patiently. "You can't just charge in like you usually do!"

"So, what am I supposed to do, let you charge in? It's my mom, Rukia!"

"Hey, would you two shut up!" Ichigo yelled. The two froze mid argument, if only out of shock. He pointed at Renji. "You! If you want to come, fine. Just stay out of the way."

Rukia couldn't believe it, but Renji looked relieved. "Thank you," he said.

"Let's just get going before I change my mind."

The Shinigami led the way out of the gates. Rukia jogged to catch up, getting just close enough to say her piece.

"You can't be serious," she started, trying to stay out of Renji's earshot. "He can't defend himself, at all. He'll just get hurt."

"I can look after him," Ichigo assured. "I got enough power in me for that much. You just focus on killing the Hollow." Rukia frowned, and something in her chest twisted at that. Still, he hadn't lied to her yet.

"Okay," she said, "but if you let anything happen to him, I will kill you and then hunt you down to whatever afterlife Shinigami have to kill you again."

"I'll hold you to that."

They ran the entire way to Renji's apartment, the intermittent beeping from Ichigo's phone a constant reminder of the looming threat. Turning the corner, Rukia quickly realized it was a threat they were too late to beat. Renji was frozen beside her.

A hole was blown through the complex, smoking with debris sprinkling down from the wreckage. The apartment that had taken the worst damage, 1C, whose entrance was completely obliterated. Out of that hole crawled a Hollow with a large flat mask and frog-like limbs. In its slimy clenched fist it was holding a struggling parakeet. Though Rukia wasn't sure what he saw, this seemed to be enough to get Renji's legs to start working. He ran forward.

Before Rukia could yell out anything, Ichigo, glove already on his hand asked, "Ready Rukia?"

She gulped. Now wasn't the time for hesitation. "Ready." He slammed his hand into her chest, knocking her right out of her body, and knocking the wind out of her, too. Before she could quite regain her bearings, she unsheathed her sword, and turned to the monster.

It was quite literally looking down on her. It seemed to smile as it cracked its mouth open, and of all things, spoke.

 _"_ _You've got a very tasty scent…"_ Its voice sounded more like a screech than speech. It was like nails on a chalkboard, like the growling of an animal. It was visceral, wild, and unnatural.

"It can talk," she almost whispered.

 _"_ _Let me eat that Soul of yours!"_ The Hollow lunged for her, and she had less than a second to jump back and out of the way, narrowly missing a swipe from its free arm.

"Why can it talk?!" she yelled out.

"It doesn't matter!" Ichigo answered. He was eyeing the Hollow, too, moving to place himself between it and the apartment building before it even noticed.

Rukia repositioned her Zanpakuto in her hands and silently promised to make sure she'd keep that creature's attention. It ended up speaking again first.

 _"_ _You're a Shinigami, right?"_ it asked in that sickly voice of its. _"I remember seeing you yesterday."_ Rukia felt a spike of fear go through her heart. She certainly didn't remember.

"What are you talking about?"

It chuckled, _"I had noticed your little attempt at spying, little Shinigami. I decided to spy back."_

"Then why didn't you show yourself then? Would have saved us a lot of trouble," she said with a glare.

He took that time to lunge for her again, and again she sidestepped it, going in for her own strike quickly after. Then, it moved much faster than it should have been able to for its size. It dodged left, and swung back around, hitting her in the chest with one of its powerful feet.

She was choking on air for a second, there, lying flat on her back, katana centimeters from her hand, and before she could get up, it used that same foot to pin her down on the ground. It pressed down, making Rukia let out a grunt of pain through gritted teeth.

 _"_ _I've dealt with Shinigami before. I know how you work. Actually, I've eaten two other Shinigami that have come for this brat,"_ he shook the bird for emphasis, and the poor thing was completely petrified. Rukia started reaching, stretching to get her sword back in her hand. Its mouth turned up in a smile. _"They tasted the best."_

"Shit!" Ichigo cursed. Out of all the case scenarios, this was definitely the worst. He had figured that this Hollow had to be powerful, but this, this might be too much for Rukia to handle. He knew he had to do something. He looked back over his shoulder to Renji, cradling the still body of his mom, still alive, probably. Either they would have to wait, or all of them would end up dead in a few minutes.

Kidō was never his strong suit, but it would have to do.

"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Bakudo number thirty-three, Sōkatsui!" He saw the lightning appear at his fingertips, weaker than normal, but still there, still holding power. He aimed, and fired, right at the Hollow. It hit the creature right in the shoulder, and it stumbled with a snarl, inadvertently raising its foot off Rukia.

But that was it. There was impact, there was even some force, but the Hollow barely had a scratch on him. If he pulled something like that at his Lieutenant Exams, he probably would have been laughed out of the room.

For Rukia, this blow was all she needed. She reached the rest of the way to her sword and lodged it into the Hollow's near ankle.

 _"_ _GAHHHHH!"_ It shrieked in pain, and when it stumbled back, Rukia realized why. Its foot was barely hanging on by a thread. She couldn't help but smile at the victory. There wasn't much he could do now without a foot.

Then, it started laughing.

 _"_ _It really amuses me,"_ it said between chuckled, _"how stupid you Shinigami are. This is why you always get beaten by us."_ Rukia didn't have any time to think about what he meant by "us." Out of the fur on his shoulders he pulled out a small frog-like creature. Within seconds there were dozens of them surrounding her, and from the corner of her eye, she could see a few go for Ichigo, too. She didn't have time to worry about him, though.

She reeled back as three came, each from their own direction, and for a second, she was glad that this cumbersome sword was as long as it was. She sliced through all of them in one blow. Then another wave came, and another, and another, and she started missing some. A few came from behind or started reaching for her legs to bite and scratch at her, and as fast as she was to take them out the second they hit, new ones came even faster. She wasn't sure how long she could keep this up. She had to finish this quickly.

For what she hoped would be the final attack against these guys, she let loose a single elegant sweep, aiming carefully, to take down all the ones in front of her in one go. One by one, they all disintegrated, and then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed she missed one.

He didn't come for her, though. He spat at her, something dark that she couldn't make out that hit her solidly on the back. She took it out with one strike and reached behind her to feel her back.

Her hand came into contact with something wet…and slimy. In fact, it was a few somethings. It almost made her gag. She tugged one off and got a look for herself. It was like a leech, gelatinous, and pulsing. She immediately threw it to the ground, pulling off as many as her hands could reach. The Hollow was just sitting there, smirking, and nothing about that could be good. It was then that he let out a whistle, oddly forked tongue flickering out through the low sound.

 _CRACK!_

She heard a loud popping sound, and before she even realized it, she was stumbling forward, her back lit up in pain. She had to stick her katana into the ground to keep herself from falling over entirely.

 _"_ _Surprised, Shinigami? Those leeches are my own miniature bombs. They explode only in reaction to the sound from my tongue!"_

Bad move, revealing your special attack's secret like that. Rukia spat on the ground and steeled herself. She needed to fight. If only she could get her legs to work.

 _"_ _I still have business to take care of,"_ the Hollow said with amusement, _"like killing this one's little friend."_ He shook the bird in his hand once again, wringing out a chirping little cry. He limped over a struggling Ichigo and ducked into the hole in the apartment.

Renji's hands were shaking. He couldn't tell if his mom was breathing. He might be able to if he could just stop goddamn shaking, but of course he's useless in a situation like this.

Oh god, she wasn't moving. Blood was on her forehead because she got hit by god knew what, and it was all his fault.

She coughed.

"Mom!" he yelled, bringing her closer, but she didn't stir further. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and looked to the scene outside. It was confusing. This whole fucking mess was confusing. Shiba was lying on the ground struggling against…something. Rukia was lying still against a tree, and Yūichi was being held up in the air by some invisible hand. He was also coming closer.

 _"_ _Take a good look, brat,"_ a voice that Renji couldn't see the source of said, _"at what happens when you try to stand up to me."_

"Please! Don't hurt him!" Yūichi cried. He was shaking like a leaf.

 _"_ _Don't hurt him?"_ The voice laughed. _"This is all a part of the deal, remember. Or do you not want me to bring your precious mommy back?"_

"You told him what?!" Shiba asked, still pinned to the pavement. He was thrashing as hard as he could. "You bastard!"

Yūichi was thrown up in the air, and caught by…dammit, this was getting confusing! Just as Renji thought this, a hand that he couldn't see, the same hand as before if he were to bet, grabbed him around the middle, trapping his arms to his side.

 _"_ _I'm going to enjoy this."_

He immediately started thrashing and kicking, and the monster started slowly squeezing the air out of him. Something about this, the invisible hand, this awful presence, it felt familiar, horribly familiar. He didn't remember how it ended last time, but it couldn't have been that bad if he were still here. When the hand squeezed tighter, he started feeling some fear.

He might actually die here, he thought. He might die, and his mom would be next, and then Rukia, and then Yūichi would have to go through all that pain all over again. He'd have to watch as more people who cared for him died, and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

"To hell with that!" he said to himself. The monster wasn't even paying attention. To hell with being scared. If Yūichi could take down this monster as a little kid, Renji sure as hell could now. He'd be a complete coward it he didn't at least try!

Suddenly, the Hollow started shrieking in pain, and the hand holding him released, dropping him to the ground, and for a second, Renji was confused, until he looked down at himself.

Spikes were sticking out of his arms, going up and out, looking sharper than any blade, and they looked an awful lot like his tattoos. Honestly, he still had no idea what was going on, but he thought that now, he might at least stand a chance against the big ugly beast.

Actually, he could almost see it. Right now, it was just a big blob of color, an odd shade of green, a white face, but at least he could aim at that. Bracing himself, he ran shoulder first into what he guessed was a leg. He connected, stuck briefly, ripping away just as it batted him off with its hand. He felt the air whoosh past his face at the blow, and he sure felt lucky it didn't connect. Still, there was no way the bastard was getting away that easily.

He was about to go right back when he noticed a strange black figure, and though he couldn't make out and features, it was the height that gave it away.

"Rukia?" he asked. He wasn't even questioning it anymore.

She seemed to be trying to tell him something, gesturing wildly with a sword, but he couldn't hear her. She was muffled, like she was underwater, but when she pointed right at Shiba, he understood.

"On it!" He started running straight toward Shiba, still struggling, and now he could even see what the guy was struggling against. He kicked away every little freak that was holding the guy down. They squealed, stumbled back, and climbed right back on. With a growl of frustration, he kept on kicking, Shiba having more luck shoving off a few others now that his arms were free.

Things changed when a spike jutted out of his leg, going straight through a creature, causing it to disintegrate in seconds.

"Well, this is a thing," Renji said to himself, staring at his leg. Shiba kicked away the last creature.

"Rukia! Get the bastard's tongue!" he yelled. Renji's eyes immediately went to her. As unfocused as it was, he could see her lunge for the Hollow, sword going right through its mouth. It screeched in pain, and with her sword came out something else. He guessed that she must have gotten its tongue.

Renji was able to see more and more of the ensuing battle as it went on, and boy was it a sight to behold. Rukia was a goddamn force of nature, slashing and stabbing as the pathetic creature struggled. She didn't let up the whole time, until finally, with a grand strike, she cut its mask cleanly in half. By now, he could see her clearly, landing gracefully, victorious.

This time, however, the Hollow didn't just turn to dust like its little minions. Behind it appeared a towering gate guarded by twin skeletons, there to open the doors. Through the gate came an impossibly huge hand holding a knife. It skewered the stunned creature, and dragged it in, chuckling with glee. The gates crumbled the second they slammed shut.

Renji felt himself let out a heavy breath. He was beyond the point of caring. At least it was over.

"That's hell," Shiba said, voice cold and unforgiving. "No less than the bastard deserves."

"Is it over?" Yūichi asked, flying weakly to Renji. He landed in Renji's outstretched hands.

"I think so," he answered, relieved.

"Let me take a look at him," Shiba said. He began examining the bird with an outstretched hand, gentler than Renji thought possible. Rukia walked over then, looking drained, to see what was happening.

They waited there with baited breath for what seemed like forever. Finally, Ichigo pulled back and solemnly shook his head.

"There's not much I can do," he admitted. "He's been out of his body for too long." Yūichi wilted in Renji's hands. Shiba continued, though, with an uneasy smile, "You know, the next life ain't so bad. You don't get hungry, you get a new body…"

"You can find you mom again, too," Rukia added, with her own smile. Yūichi started perking up.

"Really?" he asked.

"Really," Shiba said. Yūichi nodded slowly.

Shiba then straightened up, and looked to Rukia saying, "New lesson, how to help a Soul pass on." Shiba began explaining the process of "Konso" to Rukia, but Renji wasn't listening.

"Hey," Renji started, "Make sure to remember, okay. I'll have to go to the next life sooner or later too, ya know. It'd be a shame if we weren't still friends." As he said this he started seeing Yūichi, and not just as the bird in his hands. Behind the parakeet stood a seven-year-old boy with curly brown hair and freckles.

He smiled, saying, "I'll remember."

"You ready?" Rukia asked, crouching down next to the boy. She had her sword in her hand, blade facing away from the boy.

He nodded, closing his eyes tightly, completely tense, but after a second, he cracked one open, looked at Renji, and relaxed.

"I'm ready," he said.

Rukia brought the hilt of her sword up to Yūichi's forehead and pressed the end of the pommel to it. His expression started relaxing, like he was falling asleep, and right before Renji's eyes he faded away.

If at that moment, Renji felt tears sting at his eyes, it was no one else's business.

Part III

The clean up was pretty hefty, here. Rukia wasn't even sure how they'd account for property damage, but Ichigo assured her not to worry about it. After that, he went to altering some memories.

The device he used to do it looked completely ridiculous. It was small, and looked a lot like a lighter, and when he clicked it, tiny chicken heads spouted out on springs. It looked more like a kid's toy than anything, but he assured her it would work just fine on Renji's mom and the landlord, as well as any other witnesses. It wouldn't work on anyone with spiritual powers, though, so this would end up being an incident Renji wouldn't forget.

After that, he took some time healing Renji's mom (something he could apparently do) and even took care of the worst of the burns on Rukia's back. Then, the two left, Renji insisting he be there when his mom wakes up.

"You probably need someone to help with the cover story, anyway," he said, laying her down on the couch.

"Not like I'm gonna stop you," Ichigo said with a smirk. "Just keep in mind that these memory replacers tend to make up some strange things."

"Yeah, I will."

He didn't say anything to Rukia. He just gave her a long solemn look, a promise that yes, they would be talking about this later.

They parted ways after that, and now here they were. Rukia was back in her body, and walking back with Ichigo, mentally debating the merits of actually doing her homework, or saying screw it and sleeping for the next twelve hours. Her tired body knew the answer.

The fight had gone well, all things considering. Everyone was alive, the Hollow was defeated, and… She couldn't stop thinking about it, about that monster. She stopped.

"Was that Hollow a human?" she asked.

Ichigo paused, thinking for a moment before answering, "Yeah."

"And I'm gonna guess that's not the only one, either," she said, biting the inside of her cheek. "It's the same for all of them, isn't it?"

He nodded, and she started feeling a little sick.

"So, when I kill them…"

"It's like performing a Konso," he said quickly. "You just send their Soul to wherever it needs to go." Rukia felt the tension leave her shoulders.

"That still doesn't explain how a regular Soul becomes a monster like that," she said, questioning. "Were they all like him, bad people? Is this their punishment."

"No, not all of them," he said confidently. "For a lot of them, you're saving them. No one wants to be stuck a monster. Almost no one, anyway…" His eyes hardened. Rukia supposed that Hollow she destroyed before was always a monster, though. He continued, "As for how they're made, Souls usually become Hollows when they're left too long, or the owner of the Soul didn't really want to leave in the first place."

"Not want to leave?" Rukia asked. She'd seen Spirits reluctant to leave before, but usually, they managed it eventually. "What would a Soul like that look like?"

Ichigo just shook his head, saying, "Trust me, you don't want to see it." He left it at that. Eventually, they parted ways, too, Ichigo going who knows where. Rukia headed home.

Walking in, she felt exhausted. The quiet house was a relief if anything. She dragged herself up to her room, trying to keep her focus firmly on her bed. Right now, she just wanted to rest. She fell asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

* * *

 **Next week is going to be a little...experimental. I'm trying a format where every fifth chapter I take a break from the main story to make a chapter that takes place either at a different place, a different time, or sometimes both. These will range from comedic to serious, and are mostly here to provide much needed backstory every so often without doing something like taking an entire arc to do so. Next week, we'll be exploring Renji and Rukia's backstory.**


	5. V: Interlude 1

**If you haven't caught on by now, this fic is going to be insanely long.**

* * *

 _Year: 1994_

Rukia's face was pinched as she crossed the street, her tiny hand clutched tightly in her brother's bony grip. She must have begged for weeks and weeks, but only a few days ago did he agree to pay for Karate class. Today was her first day, and walking up to the building, she felt nervous but determined. She was going to go in there, she was going to have a good time, and she was _not_ going to be the weird ghost-girl. She was just going to blend in…hopefully. Rukia gulped. She wondered it if was too late to go back home.

Yeah, it was probably to late, she thought. They were already standing in front of the dojo's doors, after all. She entered, staying just a half step behind Byakuya. He immediately started talking to the man behind the desk to get her signed in, but she wasn't really paying attention. She was pulling at her Gi self-consciously as she peered over the partition to see who was already there. Byakuya had wanted them to be on time, which for him meant at least fifteen minutes early, so there weren't too many other kids there, yet. She wasn't sure if that made her feel relieved or just worse.

Byakuya turned to her, having just given the paper work to the desk man, saying, "I'll be here at six o'clock to pick you up."

"Okay…" she mumbled, before straightening up. Manners, she had to remember her manners. "I mean, yes, Brother," she answered. He nodded his head slightly, so slightly that Rukia almost had to squint to see it. The man behind the desk moved then, unlocking the small door.

"The practice area's over here," he said, jerking his head. Rukia nodded, walking through quietly. Over her shoulder, she saw Byakuya leave through the glass doors. She gave him a small wave that he didn't see, watching as he disappeared.

Now, here she was, standing on a matt, shifting from foot to foot. There were four other kids there then. Five, if she included the one that just walked in with her mom. Two were already paired off and talking to each other quietly, but the others seemed just as nervous as she was, flitting around the room or staring at the ground. She decided to follow their example and started reading the plates on whatever trophies she found in the room. (Besides, what would she even say? She wished she were better at this kind of thing.) There were actually a lot of them, so this lasted her quite a while.

Every so often, her attention would be grabbed by someone coming through the door, but usually only for a moment, until someone interesting caught her eye, a few minutes before the class was supposed to start.

It was a boy, probably her age, and he had…red hair? She knew some westerners had red hair, but this, she's pretty sure she'd only seen this shade of hair in the cartoons she watched, or on the heads of the big kids that her brother always told her to stay away from. Seeing a kid her age have hair like this was pretty weird, but she tried not to think too much of it, tried to wait and see if the parent he came with would have hair that's the same color. No one came after him, though. He was alone.

Woah, cool. Byakuya never let her go anywhere alone.

The strange boy checked himself in, going up on his tiptoes to see over the desk properly before being led into the practice area with the others, just like Rukia was. All the while, she was watching, while trying to not make it too obvious she was spying on him. She saw him bite at his fingernails, glancing over the area right before his eyes stopped at Rukia. Their eyes met, and she jerked her head away. He did catch her staring! Hopefully, he wouldn't think much of it.

While her head was turned, the boy walked right up to her, fists balled, and looking annoyed. Of course, she wouldn't be that lucky.

"What are you staring at?" he barked out. Even though they were the same height, Rukia felt herself shrink under his gaze as she stuttered for an answer.

"N-nothing," she said. His eyes narrowed. That wasn't good enough. So, with a gulp she continued, "I just thought it was neat that you came in alone…"

His fists unclenched, and his shoulders slumped slightly. He let out a confused, "Huh?" Rukia felt relieved, too.

"My brother can be kinda strict," she explained more confidently. "I just think it's cool." Then, after a moment, she added for good measure, "Your hair's cool, too."

"Oh." He took a half step back. His aggressiveness shrunk, and with it, Rukia's confidence grew. She could see it, her chance to not be alone, her chance to have the good time she hoped she would. She decided to take it.

"My name's Rukia," she said. The boy started fidgeting around, looking just as shy as she felt a moment ago.

"I'm Renji," he eventually said. Then, he looked up, staring at her face. "You really thought it was cool that I walked myself here?" he asked.

She nodded, "Uh-huh. Do you always go places by yourself?"

"Sometimes," he said with a shrug. "My mom doesn't always have time to bring me places."

"That makes sense." Byakuya could be pretty busy, too. Adults were just like that, sometimes.

This opened the floodgates for Rukia. She led the conversation after that, asking any questions that came to her mind, and he answered each one a little easier than the last. She asked things like when he'd walk himself (to school, usually, he said), where he got his red hair from (his mom), and why he came to the dojo.

"I asked for lessons for my birthday," he explained. "My mom knows the teacher, so it was pretty easy."

"Your mom knows the teacher?" Rukia asked, leaning forward. "What's he like?" Renji shuddered a bit before answering, as if recalling a bad memory.

"He's…scary," he simply said. Rukia frowned at that. That didn't sound too good.

Seconds later, the man walked in, and Rukia didn't think he looked too bad. He was shorter than most adults and had hair so short he was almost bald. Holding a clipboard, he started calling role.

"Ai Tanaka!" he called out.

"Here," a quiet voice said. A girl in the back raised her hand meekly.

"I can't hear you," he said. "Try again!"

"Here!" she yelled, voice trembling a bit. With a nod, he moved on.

He called off more names after that, always insisting that the kid answer louder a second time, and as he started going down the names, Rukia started feeling nervous.

He eventually said, "Rukia Orikasa!" She blinked for a moment. It took her a second to realize he even called her name.

"H-here!" she stuttered out after a moment.

"Try again!" he insisted.

"Here!" she yelled, cheeks pink. She let out a sigh when he moved on to the next name.

"Renji Abarai!"

"Here, sensei!"

He nodded and moved on to the next name. Yet another impressive feat from Renji.

The teacher finished off the list, clearing his throat loudly before saying, "You will call me Hōjō-Sensei, is that clear?"

A, "Yes!" rang out from all ten kids present.

"Very good," he said with a nod. "For your first day, I will teach you some Kata. These are training exercises and are a good place to start." He glanced around the room briefly, but wasted no time in saying, "Let's begin."

He started off by showing them a simple stance, which was really just standing, but he was showing them the right way to stand? Rukia didn't get it, but she went along with it, anyway. He then started walking around the group, shifting around anyone who was a bit off, quietly explaining his corrections and making them until they were one hundred percent perfect. His presence felt almost oppressive and made everyone he passed go stiff with nerves. Still, in mere minutes, he had everyone in perfect form.

As they all moved from Kata to Kata, Rukia started noticing it wasn't just the "Here!" that Renji was left alone on. Hōjō-Sensei would barely correct him on any of his stances. He'd give a nod, maybe change sometimes slightly, and move on in seconds. Of course, Rukia couldn't have this.

She started watching Renji a little closer, trying to see if she could copy him better. She tightened up her form and counted the seconds in her head that it took for her position to be revised, and she felt pride bubble up in her chest as the number got lower and lower each time. She felt excitement when she noticed Renji trying harder and harder in retaliation.

By the end of her first lesson, she felt, tired, relieved, and happy. When some of the guardians started filing in, she was wishing that it lasted for more than just one hour.

They were all set loose at exactly six o'clock, Hōjō-Sensei telling them to practice at home for next week. Rukia made a silent promise to do just that, and then out of the corner of her eye, Rukia spotted Byakuya. She reached for Renji's hand and grabbed it.

"Come on," she said, dragging him along. He didn't say anything, but he didn't protest either as she dragged him to her patiently waiting guardian.

An eyebrow raised, Byakuya asked, "How did your day go?" Rukia quickly schooled herself to give a "proper" response.

"It was fun!" she said, just stopping herself from jumping with excitement. "Hōjō-Sensei taught us Kata and some stances, and it was really neat." Byakuya nodded but seemed a little busy looking at the boy she had dragged with her.

"Would you like to introduce me to your friend?" he prompted.

"Oh yeah," she had forgotten herself for a minute there. "Uhm…"

"My name is Renji Abarai, sir," he answered for her.

"It's nice to meet you," Byakuya said with a nod. "Are your parents around here?"

"Err," Renji rubbed the back of his neck. "My mom is probably just coming off work now…sir." He added the last word as a sort of afterthought. Byakuya blinked.

"And she's not here to pick you up?"

"No," he said sheepishly.

Byakuya didn't speak for a moment. He pursed his lips, considering, and taking his time before asking, "Would it be alright if Rukia and I took you to your home?"

Renji seemed unsure, at first. He looked to Rukia for some kind of support or confirmation. She just nodded excitedly at his side.

"It'd be fine," he finally said. After that, Byakuya got up, and they all left together, the man asking Renji where his house was. It turned out to only be a couple of blocks away, but they took their time getting there, walking steadily, Byakuya holding Rukia's hand, and Rukia holding Renji's. The two were then in a heated debate, trying to figure out who did better on their first day of "training." Rukia didn't really notice the neighborhood they were in, one that was a little broken down, a little dirty, and much different from the prim and proper nature of her own.

The home they came to was a small apartment on the first floor, and in front of the door was a woman fiddling with her keys that couldn't have been anyone but Renji's mother. The hair gave it away.

"Mom!" he called before breaking away and running up to her. The woman's face broke out into a large grin as she hefted him up into a hug.

"A little heavy there, champ!" she teased, letting him down. "How'd your first day go."

"It was a ton of fun!"

"That's nice to hear," she said, smoothing out his hair. Then, she turned to the Orikasas, probably noting Rukia and her Gi. "I'm guessing you walked my son home," she said with a warm smile.

"Yes, I did," Byakuya answered.

"Well, thank you for that. I would be there to pick him up myself, but my shift from work ends at six, too. You know how it is."

"It's fine," Byakuya insisted. "It's really no problem at all." The woman smiled again, looking exhausted, but happy. Then, she looked closer at Byakuya's face, recognition immediately on hers.

"You were the lawyer!" she cried out.

"Excuse me?" He looked confused.

Renji's mom brought her hands together, and said, "A few years back when those thieves broke into our apartment. You were the lawyer that settled the insurance claim. I remember you, now, you and that woman you were with."

Byakuya blinked, before saying, "I think I remember, yes. You were one of my first clients."

The woman then finally unlocked the door.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked. "Have some tea, maybe? The kids can play outside."

"That would be nice, thank you."

A lot of the conversation went over Rukia's head, and honestly, she wasn't paying much attention. She heard the part about them playing outside, and that was all that really mattered. Renji was urging her forward.

"Come on, Rukia. I got the perfect game!" he said, and he started leading her around to the back of the building, the two adults disappearing behind apartment doors.

The two were going pretty far, actually. They were going beyond the block, and away from the houses and toward these trees. They were going far enough that she knew Byakuya wouldn't appreciate it.

"Should we be going out this far?" she asked quietly.

"Huh?" Renji paused, breaking from his fast pace. He stopped as if he had never even considered it before. "Yeah, sure," he finally said. "I go out here all the time with the guys that live down the street." After that, he continued through back ways and short cuts until they reached a tall hedge. Behind it was the edge of the trees.

"To do what?" she asked. Renji just grinned, rolling up his sleeves and parting the branches of the hedge just enough for Rukia to crawl through. She wasn't sure if she wanted to do it or not, but she was sure that she didn't want to look like a wuss. She got down on all fours and started crawling through, trying to avoid scratching branches and brushing leaves out of her face. In seconds she was on the other side.

The area was grassy and well kept, tall trees all around them. In the distance she could see some headstones, never a good sign.

"What are we doing at the cemetery?" she asked nervously. She knew she hadn't said anything about spirits or dead people since she met Renji. She had wanted to avoid it, so she could keep this friend for just a little longer.

"Me and my friends like to go ghost hunting, here," he said with a grin. Well, wasn't that perfect? "It's spookier at night, but we got in trouble last time we were here late."

"So," she started slowly, "you come here in the middle of the night with your friends to look for ghosts?" This is where it happened, wasn't it? This was where she found out that one of his friends knew about her, and that they planned this whole thing. They were going to jump out any moment to make fun of the "ghost-girl", and they would have done all this just to see her cry.

Instead, Renji said, "Yeah! It's a lot of fun, and I've always wanted to find a real ghost!"

"You believe in ghosts?" she asked carefully.

"Yup," he said, and Rukia saw a spark of excitement in his eyes. She found that she believed him, and she wasn't sure what to do with that. "Let's start over there," he continued, pointing toward the headstone closest to them.

The two wandered the cemetery after that as the sun sunk lower and lower into the sky. The cemetery itself was huge, the biggest one in town, and there were plenty of places to explore, a few of which Rukia didn't even know about until Renji pointed them out. There were entire sections of the place with headstones that had birthdates that went back centuries, hidden in groves of trees and flower, and each time they would reach one of these, Renji would inspect the area carefully, squinting his eyes and trying to find something that couldn't be seen. Well, it couldn't be seen by _most people._

All the while, Rukia was keeping her own eyes open. The place was neat, but there was always a chance they could run into a real ghost, and that could be bad news. Still, looking around, she was pretty sure there weren't any, or at least she was sure for a while.

They reached the area furthest from the main gate, furthest from where any visiting families may be. This is where she felt something other than the cool spring air. She felt cold, bone chillingly, teeth chattering-ly cold. It was like icy claws were raking through her skin, and the air around them suddenly turned heavy.

There was definitely something here, and it probably wasn't friendly.

"Did you see something, Rukia?" Renji asked hopefully.

"No!" she rushed out. She sucked in a breath before saying, "Maybe we should just go." Renji squinted at her for a moment before his eyes widened.

"You _can_ see something, can't you?"

"No, I can't!" she insisted.

"Yeah, you can," Renji insisted back, though he was more excited than anything else. "What is it? What do you see?"

Rukia stepped back. It was kind of unbelievable, but Renji didn't look like he was judging her.

"I…" she trailed off and looked back to where the feeling was coming from. It was a small shack, a little broken down, but it looked functional. There was just one problem, though. The groundskeeper wasn't alive, anymore. He was instead standing in the doorway, a chain jutting from his chest and restraining him to the shed, anchoring him. He looked like he was in pain, and… "It's angry," she finally said in a small voice. Renji looked like he had stumbled upon gold.

"So, you can see it!" Rukia's head jerked toward him.

"Can you?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"No," he said, shaking his head, eyes on the shack, "but something's definitely there." He straightened his back, clenched his fists, and in an attempt at bravery that Rukia just knew would go horribly wrong, he stepped forward. "I'm gonna try to get closer to it."

Rukia's feet felt rooted to the ground as she watched him march forward, and without even thinking about it, she reached forward, and grabbed his arm, holding as tight as she could. Just then, the groundskeeper looked right at them.

"We're leaving!" she yelled, and her legs started working again. She ran as fast as she could, dragging Renji behind her. She could hear the groundskeeper growling as he struggled against his heavy chains towards them. She ran, pumping her legs faster, and didn't slow, even when she heard his chains snap taught.

The two ran away going almost to the other end of the cemetery, screaming all the way. They stopped only when they got tired, panting as they slowed. Renji caught his breath first.

"What was that all about?!" he yelled.

Shoving him with one hand she yelled back, "It was angry, and don't steal my question! What are you doing just walking up to a ghost like that?"

Renji "harrumphed", "I just wanted to get a little closer."

"You could have gotten us both killed!"

"Yeah, well at least I'm not hiding how I can see ghosts from the friend I'm on a _ghost hunt_ with," he said, crossing his arms.

"What was I supposed to say?" she asked, throwing her hands up. "'Hi, I'm Rukia Orikasa, and I see dead people!'"

Renji held her gaze angrily for a moment before breaking it. He finally said, "That's pretty cool, actually."

About half an hour ago, Rukia would have been over the moon to hear someone say that to her. Now, she just felt annoyed.

"Maybe we should go home." Renji said, looking up at the sky.

"Probably. It's getting dark."

Renji then led the slow going way back to where they began. Neither really looked at each other. Rukia kept her eyes down on the tombstones while Renji aimlessly kicked a pebble across the ground.

"I had a lot of fun," he said.

"Huh?" Rukia said dumbly. She wasn't expecting that. What she was expecting was him saying "let's never do that again." Heck, she was hoping for a "let's never do that again."

He continued, "I mean, I've never gotten that close to a real ghost before."

"Oh," she said, nodding. Then she asked something that had been on her mind ever since they started running. "Why do you believe me about that, anyway?"

Renji stared at her accusingly, asking, "Are you lying about it?"

"No!" she answered, offended.

"Then I believe you." Rukia looked down after that. The only other person who just believed her like that was Byakuya. "Anyway, my mom talks about weird stuff like this all the time, and I believe her."

That made sense, she guessed. Still, "…That was kind of fun."

The two kids faced the hedge they started at, their formerly white Gi browned and scuffed up. Rukia bet this would be fun to explain to her brother. Renji went through the branches first, leaving Rukia one last moment to look back at the cemetery. She saw the headstone that first cued her in to where they even were back when Renji dragged her in. (Boy, that felt like _ages_ ago.) This time, however, she noticed the name on it, a name odd enough that she knew she had to get a closer look.

 _Hisana Orikasa_

 _1968-1990_

 _Beloved_

Rukia stared at it for a moment, thinking that maybe she was misreading it. Did Byakuya have relatives? If he did, he sure never brought them up. There was Auntie, but she didn't really count, did she? Who was Hisana?

"Rukia, are you coming?" Renji called from the other side. She tore her eyes from the tombstone.

"I'm coming!" she called back before she crawled to the other side of the hedge, adding a few new scratches to her Gi. Once she reached the other side, she noticed Renji was frowning.

"No one's going to believe me if I tell them what happened, will they?" They weren't. She knew this from experience.

"Probably not," she said.

Then, he smirked, "It _was_ really cool, though. What did it look like?"

She frowned first, considering, before she started her explanation. She tried not to leave anything out, going into as much detail as possible. She talked about the weird pressure, the chains, and even mentioned how old the guy looked. Renji hung onto every word.

They came back to both of their guardians waiting outside. The sun was already set by then.

"You guys were out for a while," Renji's mom commented. Then she noticed what state they were in. "What did you do to get so filthy?" she asked exasperatedly, motioning her son forward.

The two friends looked at each other for a moment.

"Nothing!" they said in unison. Byakuya and Miné shared their own look.

Rukia's brother just sighed though, guiding Rukia to his side, and looking her over. She just knew she was in trouble, now.

"Thank you for the tea, Miss Abarai," Byakuya finally said, "but now, it's time we went home."

"Feel free to stop by any time," she said, while she was looking over her own son. "I need to get you inside and in a bath," she muttered to him. "Why do you have leaves in your hair?" Renji dodged her hand when she tried to futz with his hair. Rukia and Byakuya were already walking away.

"See you next week, Rukia," Renji he called to her. Rukia turned back to him. She waved.

"See you!" She was quietly pulled away.

The walk wasn't long, but it was just long enough for Rukia to have time to think, and her mind immediately went to the tombstone. Byakuya had to know about it, he just had to, and she knew she had a ton of questions about it. She looked up to him, mouth already open to ask one of them, but something made her stop.

He was deep in thought, that much was obvious. His lips were pursed, and his brow was furrowed. He walked briskly and stiffly ahead, not saying a word. If there was something she had learned in the three years she'd been with him, it was that interrupting him while he was thinking was a bad idea. He wouldn't get angry, but he definitely wasn't happy, and probably wouldn't be for the rest of the day, or at least until he finished his thinking.

Rukia decided to keep her question to herself. She gripped Byakuya's hand a little harder.

That night, she dreamed of chasing ghosts and punching bad guys, all with her new friend. She didn't think about tombstones or dead family members, and she wouldn't for a very long time.

* * *

 **There's my little "interlude" chapter, and as I said last week, these will be a regular thing. Tell me if you love it, tell me if you hate it, and keep in mind that favorites, follows, and reviews give me life.**


	6. VI

**New week new chapter! Please enjoy, and if you want to learn a bit about the character that appears here for the first time, read the Author's Note at the end.**

* * *

Part I

Rukia was not sure what she was looking at. In her hand was what seemed like a candy dispenser. On the front were the words "Soul*Candy" pasted on in a sickeningly cheerful bubble font, meant to make the mysterious item look cuter and more trustworthy. It didn't work.

Then again, the toy head at the top was the cutest little bunny she's ever seen. It couldn't be that bad.

Eyeing Ichigo, she decided to keep just how much she liked it to herself. He'd probably find a way to lord it over her somehow.

"This," he begun, "is Artificial Soul Candy. Swallow one and it'll kick your own Soul out of your body in an instant."

Narrowing her eyes, Rukia asked, "Wasn't that what the strange looking glove was for?"

"Well, yeah," he said with a snort, "but do that trick to often, and we might kill you for real one day, and I know that death is a big deal for you humans." Rukia gulped. It would have been nice to know something like that earlier. "The candy inside has an artificial Soul that will keep that from happening, and as an added bonus, you can go Shinigami even when I'm not here."

The whole explanation sounded just a little too much like a shoddy sales pitch for Rukia's tastes, but hey, it looked like she would be buying. She brought the dispenser up to her other hand, and with her thumb, pressed down on the rubber bunny head causing a tiny piece of green candy to _pop_ out.

Rolling it between her fingers, the little round candy felt smooth, and lightweight, not unlike a regular piece of melon hard candy, but when she concentrated, she could feel the tiniest bit of warmth from it. In the meantime, Ichigo was looking at her expectantly.

"We don't have all day," he said in a bored tone. "Hollows don't destroy themselves."

"Don't rush me," she spat out. She took another second to hold it between her fingers, and before she lost her nerve, swallowed.

For a moment, she felt perfectly normal, and then, as if experiencing some kind of lag, she felt herself fall out of her body. (Or maybe it was the other way around? She couldn't quite tell.) Having been used to the sensation by now, she quickly regained her balance.

"Huh, it worked," she said with a frown, adjusting her black and white collars. Her sword was at her back, and she could feel her powers come to life. Everything was normal. Well, almost everything.

While the sight of her own lifeless body was pretty disturbing, the sight of her own body moving, without her being the one moving it, set her on edge. She watched as the entity cracked its back, inspected all of its fingers, and in general, took stock of what it was working with. It was something straight out of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Rukia had to consciously remind herself that it was better this way. Her body smiled at her brightly. It rung as fake, or at the very least, not her.

"Nice to meet you," it said. "I'm Rukia Orikasa. I hope we become great friends!"

At least the voice sounded like Rukia's, even if it was a bit off. The pitch was a higher, and something about it felt grating. Still, Rukia nodded to the Artificial Soul. Ichigo, however, didn't pay it any mind.

"The Hollow that's been hanging around the bus stop is back again," he said with a tinge of annoyance. "We have to go."

"Um," she started, looking closer at her body. It was still smiling and let out a little giggle when she stepped closer. Rukia frowned. "This is a bad idea. My classmates are definitely going to figure out this isn't me."

"Not my job to care. Let's go," he said, looking up from his cellphone to send her an icy glare. Rukia could do nothing but let out a long sigh. She knew he would drag her there by her hair if he had to.

Rolling his eyes, he asked, turning to the Artificial Soul, "You got things handled, right?"

"Leave it to me!" it said sweetly with a salute, and it watched as the two Shinigami left, running through the gates and into the distance. The second they were out of sight, it dropped and with a smirk added, "Take your time."

Part II

The Artificial Soul inspected its new body once it was left alone.

 _Well, "it" wouldn't really do, would it? She wasn't just a thing… "She"… That might do._

She flexed every muscle, checked every curve, and thought that this body wasn't bad looking. It was fit, unassuming, had a tiny waist. Sure, the chest was flat as a board, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

"Miss Orikasa, what are you doing here?" Rukia turned to see a woman with glasses and a ponytail.

 _If I'm stealing Rukia's body, I might as well spring for the name while I'm at it._

"All of your friends are having their lunch up in 1-3. You should go join them," she babbled on. How annoying. Her first day in a real body and she has to deal with two bozos and an old hag. She guessed if she answered the lady, she might go away quickly.

"Thank you," she said with a smile, "I'll be right up there." The lady smiled back and looked like she was going to say something else. That was Rukia's cue to leave.

Without a second thought, she turned, got into position, and sprinted past, leaving only upturned dust. In a moment, she lost sight of the lady entirely.

She was free, and boy did it feel just as good as she thought it might. The air was crisp, her body felt alive and warm, and everything just felt _real._ She weaved around the school grounds with reckless abandon, looking for something new, which to her, was just about everything. It only took her a couple of seconds to come across an open window, one ripe for investigation. She stopped in front of it, took a few steps back, and keeping her eye on the target, jumped into it, feet landing safely on the windowsill. She looked inside.

About twenty sets of eyes looked back, not that she cared. She had a sneaking suspicion, though…

"Is this class 1-3?" she asked. Suddenly the whole class erupted into madness.

"Rukia?! What are you doing in the window?!"

"She didn't jump, _did she_?"

"No way…"

People were whispering, yelling, looking utterly shocked. On any other occasion, she might have liked the attention, but honestly, they were just giving her a headache. If they were going to scream at her, they could at least be a little interesting to look at. She took stock of the classroom.

 _Girl, girl, girl, ugly, geeky, girl, weird nose, baby face doesn't look to bad, and…huh._

The last one she noticed caught her eye. He was muscular, had a real broody air to him, even with his face twisted in shock as it was. He had tattoos exposed by his short-sleeved shirt, and a ponytail that was to die for. He was what she always imagined a "bad boy" to look like, and to be honest, it was kind of working for her. She hopped down from the windowsill, using desks and stepping stones until she reached him.

She landed on the floor right in front of him, and with a bat of her eyelashes asked, "How are you doing today, handsome?"

He sputtered at her, his face turning pink. It was cute, but he obviously wasn't getting the message. She'd have to be a bit more forward. She grabbed his bicep (and yeah, it felt pretty nice) and pulled herself close to him. He froze and turned as red as his hair.

"I think she broke him," whispered a boy that was certainly _not_ her Bad Boy. She paid him no mind. Then, a red-haired girl with glasses dragged her away from him, holding her by the shoulders.

"B-but Rukia, how could you do this to me?" she asked, shaking the smaller girl. "I thought _we_ were supposed to be together?"

"Uhhh…." Okay, she didn't know what to do here. Was the original Rukia gay, or what? This situation was starting to take a turn for the worse. It might be time to bail.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rukia's head snapped to the corridor, and in it stood Rukia. The real Rukia, breathing heavily and looking angry beyond imagination.

Yep, it was time to go.

"Don't take another…" Rukia didn't even hear the word "step." She was already on the ground below, running far, far away, and she couldn't help but laugh with a strange mixture of mirth and excitement.

Part III

Looking out the window and down to the streets below, Rukia, the real Rukia, already knew she wasn't going to be able to catch up to the body snatcher. She was so fast it was kind of ridiculous, and with a sigh, she pushed back from the window. She'd have to find a way, somehow.

"Of all the shitty luck," Ichigo hissed out, looking out the window for himself.

"Okay, what just happened?" Keigo asked.

"Well…" Rukia said nervously. Then, she remembered that no one could actually see her, right now. Ichigo, glancing at her, cleared his throat.

"You see," he started, "Rukia is…sick."

She felt like slamming her head against the wall. Her reputation was ruined.

"Sick?" asked Chizuru.

"Maybe," Keigo said with a pout. "Sounds kinda suspicious to me."

"Yeah!" Chizuru added. "Sick doesn't explain how she was all over Renji and not me!"

Great, if even these two weren't buying it, she was doomed.

This triggered a debate amongst the class. People divided into camps of sick and not sick, mostly as an excuse to gossip about what just happened. Rukia was starting to get a good idea of what took place, too, and she didn't like it one bit.

By the side of all of this stood Renji, who had stayed silent throughout. He discretely waved her over.

Not too long ago, they had managed to talk out everything about her powers, what she's been doing, and how they would move forward. It was a hard pill to swallow for him, but it wasn't as if something like this would ruin the friendship they've had for so long. They worked it out, like they always do, and with her best friend in the loop, things were much easier, now, emotionally and otherwise.

When she got close enough, he asked, keeping his voice down, "What the hell was that?"

"Honestly," she answered, bringing a hand to her temple, "I have no idea. One moment, I'm destroying a Hollow and the next that _thing_ is jumping out of windows and causing trouble in my body!"

"Yeah, I don't think you've said what that _thing_ even is, yet," he growled out. "Why does it have your body?"

Before she could answer, Ichigo called out, "Hey Abarai, come here." He took the time to look right at Rukia, and she knew it wasn't just directed at Renji. It almost frustrated her. Why did he get to save face and not look like a crazy person? Grumbling, she followed him out to the hall, away from prying ears.

"'She can take care of things,' you said. 'It'll be fine,' you said." Rukia mocked.

"Hey, it's not my fault that someone gave me a crappy product!" he yelled back. With a growl, he ranted, "Usually Soul Candy works just fine. No freak outs, no jumping out of windows, no missing body!" Then he stopped, blinked, and his eyes widened. "Unless it wasn't normal Soul Candy."

"I could have told you that," she said with a frown, "but you think you know what this is."

"It might be a Mod Soul," he explained. "When I was little, I had heard about a project, 'Operation Spearhead.' The Soul Society wanted to make an artificial Soul that gave special powers to the body it occupied. It was gonna be something simple like strength or speed, and they were supposed to support us in fights.

"The project's mostly memorable because of how much of an embarrassment it was when it failed. The Mod Souls turned bad, and some of the researchers got hurt. They couldn't figure out why, so they shut it down."

"Let me get this straight," Renji said, speaking for the first time since they were dragged out here. "You're telling me that your freaky secret society made a bunch of evil fake Souls, and that one of them escaped and is taking Rukia's body for a joy ride right now?"

"That about sums it up," Ichigo answered with a deep frown.

"Oh great," Rukia groaned.

Part IV

Rukia, and yeah, the name didn't sound quite right, but she had gotten pretty used to it over the last hour or so, was enjoying her walk around town. After wandering around long enough, she had found herself in the shopping district, and it was even better than she imagined. All the shops had these flashy displays, but that didn't even compare to how they looked on the inside. They were filled with colors and clothes, and cute things that she didn't know the names of yet. It was all so amazing, and every bit of it looked much better than the boring old school uniform she was stuck in. She ran into a bit of a road block when the lady behind the counter claimed she had to "pay for it", though. She had to leave the store after that.

She probably would have left that area of town pretty quickly then were it not for these wonderful little things called "samples." The shops that sold food had them, these tiny morsels of fresh food that they handed out for free. She made sure to try every single one.

With hands full of these little goodies, she sat comfortably, swinging her legs back and forth. That everyone was giving her attention and staring was simply a bonus. They'd probably never seen a girl sit on the roof of a café before.

"Hey!" someone called from below. That didn't sound like the usual shocked cries she'd been getting. She looked down only to find none other than her Bad Boy.

"I guess you've found me," she said with a sly smile. He turned that interesting shade of red again and stuttered for a moment. How could one person be so cute?

"You're going to have to come down from there," he said shakily.

Standing up, she asked playfully, "Why don't you make me?" Forgetting her samples, she ran, speeding across rooftops.

Her face was to the wind, and she was grinning from ear to ear. She almost didn't see the orange haired Shinigami standing directly in her path. She frowned. She just knew he would be trouble. She saw the Reishi crackling at his finger-tips, but still had ample time to dodge his poorly aimed Kidō. She raced right past him only looking back to stick out her tongue.

Now _that_ was fun.

She realized after a moment that she had already reached a different area of town. The shops were gone, and she could see a school, but not the one she had started at. She landed on the ground, running out of roofs to jump over, and ran up to the surrounding wall, curiosity getting away from her.

Just beyond it, she could hear voices, but she couldn't make anything out. Luckily, there was a locked gate just nearby, a perfect place for spying. She carefully snuck ahead, and peeked around the corner, trying to stay out of sight.

"Ah, damn it, he lost again!" a young boy groaned. He and two others were messing around with these small machines. They looked interesting, actually. She might try and find her own tiny machine.

"Stupid thing can't even fight. Who do you think created you?" he asked. Rukia gulped.

 _What?_

With a laugh, one of the other boys, asked, "Why don't you delete him?"

She could remember them. The Shinigami in the long white coats.

 _"_ _This batch is obviously defective. Terminate it."_

"Yeah, those that don't listen to their master die!"

She could remember seeing all those other Mod Souls getting destroyed. She remembered being the last one left, that horrible feeling of waiting to disappear.

"Bam!"

She couldn't breath.

"Oh, he really erased him."

"So, what? I'll create a better one!" They all laughed.

Rukia backed up one step, then another. For some reason she thought that the people here in the World of the Living would be different. How could they, how could little kids, be that cruel, just throwing away a life if it didn't suit them. This wasn't fun anymore. She wanted to leave.

She felt a hand close around her arm.

"Got you."

Part V

The three split up at the school, knowing that to catch an enemy with super-speed, they'd need to cover a bit more ground. The more places they checked, the more likely they were to find it. This is what Rukia told herself a few hours into her own search.

Great, she might as well forget about going back to school today. She's pretty sure her teacher thought she was some kind of hoodlum by now.

She parked herself on an office rooftop, overlooking the town, trying to find any sign of her body. Soon enough, she got lucky. Just there, a few rooftops across, she could see it running. It went by so fast, if she blinked she would have missed it.

She immediately gave chase, trying more to keep it in sight than to catch it. She knew she couldn't outrun it, so she'd have to surprise it, and to do that, she needed to stay quiet.

She kept her eyes on the prize for as long as she could, but as rooftops varied and blocked her sight, it became much harder to do. Eventually, some particularly high roofs made her lose sight instantly. The Mod Soul hadn't changed its direction too much, though. Hopefully she was still on track. She ran, sticking to her gut, keeping her eyes wide open.

Eventually, she skidded to a stop, and went down in a crouch. She found it!

Her body was there, standing in front of the side gate of a middle school. What on earth the Mod Soul was doing there, she had no idea, but it seemed distracted. Now was the perfect chance.

She silently landed on the ground just as her body started turning away from the gate. Before it had time to take even another step, she grabbed it by the arm, and she wasn't intending to let it go this time.

"Got you," Rukia said with a smirk. Then she noticed the expression on her body's face. The Mod Soul looked…hurt. It looked like it was going to start crying at any moment, and that caught Rukia seriously off guard. Still, she didn't let go, not even when she felt the now familiar presence of a Hollow in the area.

"Shit," she hissed out. With her free hand she reached back to grab her sword. She couldn't even see the thing, yet.

"Wait!" the Mod Soul gasped out. "There are kids here."

"I know that. This is a middle school," Rukia said. Now where would that Hollow be appearing from.

"No," it said with more urgency, "I mean there are kids _here_!" It pointed to the gate to three very confused looking boys that Rukia had just now noticed. This complicated things.

Before Rukia could even figure out how to get them out of harms way, the Hollow came down from above, silent and deadly, its bug-like shadow passing over them and to the other side, right where the kids were. Rukia had to act fast.

She let go of her body and hopped over the gate. She dropped to the ground, using the height of her sword to her advantage, and the Hollow fell onto it before it could redirect its path. Glancing around she checked to see it the kids were alright, if she had made it in time. The kids weren't there. The Mod Soul had two of them under her arms, and one of them already in a track field some meters away. Rukia couldn't help but sigh in relief. If they were fine, that meant she'd be able to kick this things ass with that much more ease.

She drew the blade out of the Hollow's face. (Not a direct hit, sadly. She only got it in the jaw.) Using the flat of her blade she shoved it aside, and using the edge, she sliced into its side.

It wasn't having any of this. With an ear-piercing shriek it unfurled its wings and flew up to higher ground, right onto a nearby roof. Great, it could fly.

The Mod Soul had moved in beside her, looking incredibly unsure of itself, staring out at the Hollow. Rukia decided that for the sake of this fight, she might have to give it an extra push.

"You can fight, right?"

"Uhh…" the Mod Soul breathed. "Yeah." Rukia's grip on her sword tightened. That was all she needed to know.

"Then I need you to go left while I go right." She charged, and it didn't even surprise her when the Mod Soul actually followed her orders.

She met the Hollow on the right connecting solidly, but in the end, not hitting nearly as hard as the Mod Soul. When it said it could fight, it really wasn't kidding. Its legs were powerful, and as it attacked didn't hold back with a single high-speed kick. It was one kick to the back of the head followed by a well-placed blade when the creature fell forward that did the Hollow in.

When the dust settled, Rukia turned to the Mod Soul.

"So…" it said, "you caught me." It wouldn't look her in the eye.

"I did," Rukia agreed, and she wasn't quite sure what to do now, either.

"Then it really is over," it said wistfully. "Are you going to destroy me, now?" Rukia's eyes widened in shock.

"Why on earth would I do that? You just helped me."

The Mod Soul didn't look convinced when it explained, "It's because I'm a Mod Soul. That's just what the Soul Society does to Mod Souls."

Rukia studied the Mod Soul for a moment after that. With a sigh, she sat herself down onto the roof. She was too tired for this, right now.

"I'm not killing anyone," Rukia finally said, "and I'm not a part of the Soul Society. Honestly, they're sounding worse by the minute."

"You're serious," the Mod Soul said, looking at Rukia with wide eyes. Rukia nodded. She saw the Mod Soul smile for a moment before the expression turned blank and she fell forward.

"She's still going to need that body back, though." Ichigo stood behind her body, holding it up with one arm, wearing that red skull glove. With his free hand he caught a tiny green candy that fell from its mouth. He held it up to the light.

Honestly, it was amazing that such a tiny thing could cause so much trouble. It was even more amazing that it could feel so much. Well, maybe calling the Mod Soul "it" wasn't fair. She'd have to think of a proper name, soon.

"I'm guessing you want to keep this," Ichigo said with a raised eyebrow.

Nose upturned she said, "I'm not letting you destroy it if that's what you mean." He just chuckled and walked up to her, placing it carefully in her open palm.

"I'm not going to destroy her," he said. "I never really liked how the Soul Society did things, anyway."

It didn't take too long for Rukia to get back in her body, and she had to marvel at just how _sore_ all that running around the Hollow did made it. She immediately wished she had waited until she got home to get back in the thing. The walk back was going to be miserable.

They made their way down the emergency fire exit of the building, and at the bottom, Renji was there waiting for them. He immediately looked at her with suspicion.

"It's me, Renji," she assured. His shoulders slumped.

"Thank god," he sighed out. He was maybe a little too easily convinced. Then again, she didn't really know what had him so on edge about the Mod Soul. She'd have to ask him later.

"So, what are you going to do with _that_?" Ichigo asked, pointing to the hand that held the Mod Soul. She looked down at the tiny pill.

"I'm not really sure," she answered honestly.

"That thing just needs a body, right?" Renji asked. "Why don't we just put it in a doll or something."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again.

"That might actually work," he said, considering. "Rukia, do you have any?"

Rukia scoffed, "What you're saying that just because I'm a girl I have dolls just lying around?"

Renji stared at her, raising an eyebrow. Rukia glared back. The two held it for a few moments, a silent battle going on. Eventually, Rukia broke.

"I might have a few Chappy stuffed animals lying around." Ichigo snorted, and Rukia levelled a glare at him a return.

She tightened her grip on the candy. She'd have to find a decent doll for her. The Mod Soul deserved at least that much.

* * *

 **This is the first appearance of the (now unnamed) Mod-Soul Character, one of the first OCs I crafted for the sake of this plot. For those of you who haven't figured it out, she's basically a female version of Kon, or rather my take on a female version of Kon. I've always gotten the impression that Kubo didn't like Kon very much. He's the butt of every joke and gets forgotten a few arcs in. Conversely, I would like to do more with this character in the future. As I analyzed Kon's backstory for the sake of writing her's, I found it to be way more interesting than I remember it being, and I'd like to roll with it in the future. So, keep an eye out for her, okay.**

 **Leave a review! I can't get enough of them!**


	7. VII

**Wow, this one was pretty close to coming late! I have much of this stuff pre-written, but edits can take a while, especially with a chapter as long as this one. This is actually a personal favorite of mine, so I hope you all enjoy. FYI: We're already halfway through the first Arc!**

 **Please enjoy.**

* * *

Part I

"Wake up!"

Squeezing her eyes shut, Rukia bit back a groan.

"Come on, wake up!"

She could feel a small plush arm poke at her nose. She brushed it away with a hand and rolled over, pulling the covers tighter over herself. Five more minutes. She knew she had five more minutes!

"It's morning! It's morning!"

Great, the little demon was jumping on her now. Her tiny body let out a small squeak with every impact.

And she

just

wouldn't

stop.

Rukia violently shoved the covers off her body, sending the stuffed animal flying to the other side of the room. She hit the door with yet another soft squeak. Rukia's eyebrow twitched.

"Ow…," the toy groaned. Rukia was having none of it.

"Paku, I thought I said no more wake up calls!" she bit out, trying to keep her voice down. She wouldn't even know where to begin if Byakuya came up and found a walking talking Chappy Bunny in her room. Then again, if Paku were a more reasonable house guest, she probably wouldn't have to worry as much as she does about that possibility.

Not long ago, she let the Mod Soul into her home. She gave her a name (Paku, after the Japanese word for Mod Soul, Kaizō Konpaku), a roof over her head, and occasionally even let the little creep use her body.

For as useful as she could be, she was also obnoxious, rude, boy-crazy, and didn't know that if she woke up Rukia before her alarm one more time she was going to be thrown into the nearest garbage disposal.

Paku dusted herself off with a visible pout.

"It's not my fault all you do is sleep the day away," she grumbled. Rukia just sent her an icy glare.

 _Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

She groaned, falling back into her bed. That, of course, was her alarm. She kicked off the remainder of her covers and resigned herself to her fate. (If she, during her morning routine, kicked Paku around a little more than usual, she couldn't say.)

Fully dressed, she climbed down the steps. Paku was already shoved in her school bag, all complaints muffled by the leather, and Rukia was looking forward to the silence that would greet her in her home. Maybe this morning would be salvageable after all. She was surprised, then, to find her brother downstairs sipping a cup of hot tea while the local news played in the background.

She blinked for a moment. He was never here in the mornings.

"Good morning, Brother," she said hesitantly before heading toward the pantry. She'd have to get going soon.

"Good morning, Rukia," he said back with a glance.

"I didn't think you'd be home," she commented. She grabbed an apple. That might be alright for today.

"I have the day off," he said simply.

"Oh." As an afterthought, she also grabbed a thermos. If he made some tea, she was getting some for herself. He always used loose leaf and made more than he could drink by himself. He was pretty picky about his tea, too, which made it perfect for mooching. She poured herself a decent amount, eyes catching the current news story.

 _"_ _Spirit Medium and TV Star Don Kanonji will be appearing next week in Karakura town, Tokyo to film a new episode of his show…"_

She rolled her eyes.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Byakuya.

She shook her head, saying, "It's nothing. It's just… TV Mediums rub me the wrong way."

"Because they're frauds, most of the time."

"Yeah, something like that," she said with a frown.

"Are you sure he's a fraud?" her brother asked. "Have you seen his show?"

Rukia scoffed, "Oh, I saw an episode. He's a complete showboat, nothing more, nothing less, and no one else seems to see it."

Byakuya sipped his tea for a moment.

"It's not as if there's any harm in a program like this," he said.

"Well, maybe…" Rukia admitted. He might think differently if he knew just how obsessed some people got over it.

Rukia found everything surrounding "Don Kanonji" utterly irritating. She hated his weird looking pimp jacket, his wispy handlebar moustache, his giant hat and sunglasses, his whole superhero shtick, and his whole goddamn attitude. The guy was insufferable.

She spared the TV one more glace, just to see his stupid grinning face. This morning just kept getting worse. To spare herself from seeing him a third time she decided now was a good time to leave. She waved her brother goodbye and walked out the front door.

She wasn't surprised when upon walking into Class 1-3, she was greeted by Michuru and Chizuru with their arms crossed over their bodies giggling out "Bohahaha!"

She stared at them blankly.

"Huh, you think she got the reference?" Chizuru asked Michuru.

"I got the reference," Rukia answered plainly. " _Ghost Hunter_ right?"

"So, you _do_ watch it!" Said Michuru.

"Not really," she said, literally sidestepping a conversation about the newest episodes. Her classmates were nice people, but sometimes she just didn't understand them. She plopped her bag onto her desk.

Ichigo stood right next to it, doing "the pose" with a wide grin on his face. Thank god he didn't say "Bohahaha!"

"You too?" she groaned out.

"Hey, I think it's funny," he said with a shrug.

She let out a sigh of relief when she saw Renji walk through the door. He wasn't doing a stupid pose or saying a catchphrase. He looked as normal as ever, walking toward his seat right next to her.

"You look down," he commented, leaning against his desk.

"It's this 'Don Kanonji' trend," she said with contempt. "I swear, everyone's obsessed with him."

"Ah, really?" He said a little too quickly. "I wouldn't know anything about that…" He wouldn't meet her eyes. Rukia stared at him, eyes narrowing.

"You watch it too!"

He gulped before saying, "My mom really likes it." He had the good sense to sound ashamed.

Nothing about this morning was going to be good, it seemed.

Lunch wasn't much better. Usually, it was relaxing sitting around on the school grounds, just talking with her friends, but with just about every conversation drifting back to the "Don" himself, she couldn't bring herself to enjoy it much at all.

"…and they're going to be doing the filming right here in Karakura town at the Abandonded Hospital," Keigo said excitedly. "We have to go together!"

"Sounds cool to me," Chizuru said with a grin. "We might even see a real ghost."

"You should come, too Shiba," said Mizuiro.

"I'd love to," he answered. Of course, he'd do something like that, probably to spite her.

"What about you, Rukia?" asked Mizuiro. Suddenly all eyes were on her.

"I'd rather sit this one out," she said carefully. " _Ghost Hunter_ isn't really my thing."

"Aww," whined Chizuru, "but you might miss out on some ghost slaying action!"

"I think I'll live," Rukia answered dryly. The conversation passed over Rukia again after that, and she let her mind drift off. The day was already half way through. She could do this.

That was what she was thinking when Ichigo pulled her to the side on the way back to class, a serious expression on his face.

"You're going to the Abandonded Hospital, this week," he said matter-of-factly. She raised an eyebrow.

"I already hunt Hollows for you," she said. "I'm not going to a movie shoot just because you think it's funny."

"This isn't about what I find funny," he said with a scowl. "Places like that attract all kinds of Spirits, and the fact that a huge ass crowd is going to be there soon makes me nervous. You're going there because you have a job to do."

She hated it when he was right.

Part II

 _She hated it when he was right._

She was still thinking that exactly one week later. That day, after the sun had gone down, Rukia found herself walking toward a crowded set for a television show she grew to hate more with each passing day.

On a whim, she had decided to do some research on this "Don Kanonji" which mostly involved binging several taped episodes in Renji's apartment. Over the course of that research session, Rukia learned a few things about the Medium.

First: No, the catch phrase didn't get any more appealing over time.

Second: Not all his sightings seemed like complete hoaxes, so it was possible he did have _some_ abilities, though she highly doubted it.

Finally: Even then, had no idea how to actually deal with Spirits.

With her excitement at an all time low, here she was, approaching her friends in her Sunday best in an effort to look like she cared about anything but the poor Spirit this goofball would probably end up harassing.

"Rukia, you did come!" called out Chizuru. The red headed girl was there, standing with the rest of their classmates that had decided to come. Surprise, Surprise, the turnout was great.

"I just thought I would drop by," Rukia said with a slightly forced smile.

"Well, we're glad you could make it," said Ichigo. She flashed him the exact same expression.

"Can we talk somewhere else?" she asked, smile straining.

"Uh, sure," he said with a raised eyebrow. With that, she grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him away to a thinner part of the crowd. Sadly, she couldn't get away completely without it looking suspicious, but hopefully this would do.

"Have you found anything yet?" she whispered.

"Huh?"

"Hollows, Spirits, anything?" she listed urgently. When he looked at her, confusion plain on his face, her jaw almost dropped. Angrily, she continued, "You said that Spirits show up in scary places like this all the time!"

His eyes widened, and his face broke out into a smile.

"Oh, I lied."

 _What?_

Rukia swore she felt a vein pop in her forehead.

He continued, "Weird Spirits show up in all kinds of places, not just areas that you humans decide to call 'spooky.' I just thought you needed to get out more, so I lied."

Rukia took a deep breath.

"Do you know how many episodes of _Ghost Hunter_ I watched for your fake mission?" she asked with a slightly hysterical smile on her face. Ichigo took a step back. "Hours of my life I will never get back. A catchphrase that I will remember until the day I die. Ichigo…"

"Shiba, don't tell me you're laying the moves on Rukia!" Keigo cried out. He and Mizuiro were setting down an ice chest nearby. Mizuiro cracked it open, causing a few around to cheer.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Keigo," Ichigo said. With a snicker, Keigo dug two cans out of the cooler.

"Well, I helped bring the drinks," he said, handing a can of orange soda to Ichigo, and grape to Rukia. "So, if you were, you're kinda obligated to tell."

"In your dreams," Ichigo said with a smirk, cracking open his soda (unassisted).

"Hey, what's going on over here?" Rukia turned to see Renji, his mom not far behind.

"Oh, the usual," she said dryly, idly watching Ichigo and Keigo's banter.

"I didn't expect you to be here, Rukia," said Miné. "I thought you didn't like _Ghost Hunter."_

"I was kind of dragged here, Ms. Abarai," Rukia said with an exasperated laugh.

Okay, maybe she had overreacted. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad. When you were spending an evening drinking sodas with friends on a TV set, it didn't really matter what show it was for, in fact, the "Don' rarely came up at all.

Ichigo was right in many respects, and though she did hate it when he was right, she had to admit that since starting as a part-time Shinigami, her free time has plummeted, and being the introvert she was, that meant that her social life took the harshest blow. Aside from Renji, she really hadn't been spending any time with friends outside of class. So, yeah, maybe she did need to "get out more."

"Hey, I think they're setting up!" called out Keigo, holding up his soda can to signal. Looking for herself, Rukia saw several badge-wearing crew members getting into position. She ended up having to actively dodge a man carrying what looked like some very heavy lighting equipment.

"Coming through!"

"Move to the right. No, back! Put it towards the center."

"Yes, sir!"

It was actually kind of exciting to watch. Rukia had never seen something like this in person before. There were so many moving parts, so many people involved. She watched, enraptured, as they made their way onto their location.

The second the first man's scuffed up sneaker touched the grounds of the dilapidated hospital, Rukia heard the screech of a Hollow.

"What the hell?" Renji whispered beside her. Ichigo froze, eyes darting to the building. No one else even seemed to notice.

Then again, she only just noticed the man struggling against incredibly long chains surrounding him and binding him to the hospital. He was screaming in pure rage. The chain was anchored firmly to his chest.

Or, not so firmly. It looked like he had nearly dislodged it, half a hole was already opened up.

Rukia quickly gulped down the rest of her soda. That was just her luck, wasn't it? The second she tries to relax…

"I think I left something at home," she said quickly. "I should probably go."

"I'll go help you with that," said Renji beside her.

"Yeah, I, uh, just remembered that my aunt wanted me to pick up some groceries," added Ichigo. Before anyone could ask any questions, and before Rukia could really process the confused looks on everyone's faces, the three quickly slipped away from the crowd and into the surrounding trees where no one else could see them.

"Was that a Hollow?" hissed Renji.

"I think so," said Rukia, shaking her head. "How did I not sense it earlier."

"Because, that's not a Hollow," Ichigo said grimly. "That's a Spirit."

"Explain," said Rukia. Ichigo grimaced.

"Remember when I said that there were Spirits that didn't want to leave, and how that wasn't something you'd want to see. I think this Spirit is one of those, one that's been allowed to stay just a little too long."

"Isn't that just as bad?" Renji asked.

"Maybe," he said. "It can take years for a Spirit to become a Hollow."

"The hole was already half formed," Rukia said urgently. "I don't think we have years."

"Correction," Ichigo said, holding up a hand. "It was _only_ half formed. He still has a way to go, yet. We'd be better off laying low, not dragging any attention to ourselves, and taking care of him peacefully afterwards. Trust me, we've got the time."

Rukia let out a sigh of relief. Then the situation wasn't as dire as she had first feared. Heck, maybe she'd even be able to enjoy the little viewing party after all.

This was what Rukia thought at first. Then she saw the "Don", himself, descend from the sky with a goddamn parachute.

"How's it going, babies!" he yelled. The crowed chorused "Bohahaha!" back.

He landed with a flourish of his cape.

"Spirits are always with you!" he said with a grin, causing a wave of cheers to erupt from the crowd. Rukia rolled her eyes.

Making their way out of the trees, Rukia saw Don Kanonji start off with a "Pre-Special Interview." She wasn't paying much attention, or more accurately, she could barely even hear him over the Spirit's bitching and moaning.

 _"_ _This Hospital is mine! I won't hand it over to anyone! I'll kill anyone who comes in!"_

Rukia had to put her hands over hear ears to block out the guy's incessant shrieking about his father's inheritance and how he was going to live it up in West-Abazu. She saw Renji wince right beside her. She was starting to rethink the whole "lay low and wait" thing. Screw waiting if she was going to have to suffer through this for the next hour.

She almost didn't notice when Kanonji started walking toward the Spirit, his eyes firmly on the struggling figure.

 _Then I guess he's not a complete fraud, huh._

He circled the Spirit, inspecting the area in an obvious attempt to milk the moment.

"This certainly…" Don Kanonji started.

"SMELLS LIKE BAD SPIRITS!" the crowd cheered back. It looked like the show was finally started. Rukia already couldn't wait for it to be over.

"Hmm…this is bad, quite bad," he pondered.

"Are you sure this is alright?" Rukia asked Ichigo. "I swear that Spirit hasn't stopped shrieking since it was woken up."

"Hey, stop worrying so much," Ichigo chided. "I said it was fine, didn't I? Besides, you only really need to start worrying when it sounds like its in pain, and right now, the guy just sounds pissed off."

 _"_ _Huh? What's with you?"_ The Spirit snarled out at Kanonji. Yeah, he seemed more mad than anything.

With a sigh Rukia started glancing around for the cooler. She might as well get something out of this.

"I'll finish him off with one blow," Kanonji announced, "with my Super Spirits Stick!"

He plunged his staff right into the Spirit's chest. It started shrieking in pain.

"Oh, no," said Ichigo.

Paling, Rukia reached for her backpack, tearing it open as quickly as she could. Immediately, Paku's head popped out.

"Do you know how cramped it is in there?!" she gasped.

"Save the whining for later!" Rukia yelled, pulling Paku out of the bag. She manhandled the bunny, prying its mouth open until she got what she wanted, a small green candy. Brushing off the bits of fluff stuck to it, she popped it into her mouth, separating herself from her body.

"Rude…" was the first think Paku said in Rukia's body.

"I'll go on ahead," Rukia said, ignoring the Mod Soul. "You try and find a way around the security team." Ichigo snorted.

"So, you're giving me orders, now?" he said with a smirk.

"Just meet me when you can," Rukia huffed. Not waiting for a response, she dashed away, darting through the crowd, ignoring the confused and offended sounds made by the people that she shoved aside. She wasn't paying attention to any of that, though. All she could hear was the Spirit, its screams getting louder and louder with every step she took.

She knew her time was limited, she could see it in the Spirit's eyes. Rushing past an oblivious security team, she launched herself at Kanonji's side. Together, they tumbled to the ground hard.

The impact shocked them both for a second. Kanonji seemed to have the breath knocked out of him, and Rukia wasn't much better. Still, he somehow was the first to recover.

"What's wrong with you, girl?!" He yelled. It was probably the only way he knew how to speak. "Why did you interfere?"

She just looked at him incredulously. That Spirit was literally screaming in pain. How oblivious was this guy?

"Oh, I see!" he exclaimed with a grin. "Even in death you're my fan. How sweet!" Oh, that was it.

"Your fan?! I came here to stop you fr–"

 _"_ _AAAHHHHHH!"_

She was cut off by the Spirit screaming, and it was even louder than before. He wasn't even forming words anymore, didn't even seem to feel anything other than agony. Then, before her eyes, he dissolved away.

She was too late.

The previously noisy crowd was now silent. Even those who couldn't normally sense anything knew that something was wrong. Rukia could see the pale faces of those in the front row, could hear a few young children crying incoherently.

And the Spirit was just _gone._

"Yeahhhhh! Mission Complete!" Kanonji cheered. The silent crowd erupted into raucous applause.

 _"_ _I can't believe it!"_

 _"_ _There really was a ghost, wasn't there?"_

 _"_ _Amazing!"_

 _"_ _Kanonji! Kanonji! Kanonji!"_

"Thank you, thank you!" Kanonji said with a smug smile. "I'm receiving all of your wonderful vibes!"

A Spirit didn't just disappear. Something was wrong, but…

"Mr Kanonji?" Rukia asked.

"Yes, girl?"

"Did you really exorcise that Spirit?"

He laughed loudly and confidently before answering, "Of course! I'm the charismatic Spirit Medium of the new century, Don Kanonji! My exorcisms are perfect."

But that wasn't an exorcism. Rukia's seen a Konso. Hell, she's performed them before. She knows what a Spirit looks like when they pass on, and they aren't in agony. They fade away peacefully. Which meant there was something wrong here.

Kanonji was still behind her, babbling on about how big of a fan she must have been to follow him beyond the grave, and about how he'd find a way to give her an autograph somehow. She wasn't paying attention, not until his face grew three shades paler. He went quiet, eyes fixed on the air above the hospital.

"What the…" he trailed off. Her eyes followed his.

A Hollow was forming right above them. First came its bony arms, then its thick meaty legs. Its malformed torso came soon after. Its head was none other than the screaming Spirit from before.

His eyes were blank, and his mouth was wide open in agony. He let out one final scream, but this one no longer sounded human.

 _"_ _GYAAAAH–"_

A mask formed over his face, silencing him. A Hollow grinned down at them, perched atop the Hospital.

"What is that Monster?!" Kanonji gasped out. Rukia's eyes were still fixed on it.

"You've never seen one, have you?" she asked quietly.

"Of course not!" He shook his head furiously. "I'm the charismatic Spirit Medium of the new century, Don Kanonji! Monster extermination is outside of my field!"

"Well," Rukia said, steeling herself by reaching for her sword, "that _monster_ is a Hollow, and it's–"

He cut her off, crying, "I'm sensing it! It reeks of a super dangerous Spirit!" Of course, he didn't listen to a single word she just said. "So, then he must be…" He stroked his chin, and his eyes narrowed. Rukia wasn't even bothering anymore. "The earlier Spirit's boss, coming back for vengeance!"

Rukia wanted nothing more than to tell Kanonji exactly where he could shove that stupid staff of his, but the Hollow wasn't going to give her that luxury. It launched itself down at them with a howl.

"Run!" she commanded, turning to the beast. She almost ran right into Kanonji's back. He held an arm out, standing between her and the Hollow.

"Run away girl! Leave this one to me!" That idiot didn't know what he was getting himself into, "shielding" her. He didn't stand a chance. The Hollow was descending, mouth wide open. There wasn't time to think.

With a yell, she shoved Kanonji aside and blocked the Hollow's bite with her blade, digging the sharp edge into its too wide mouth.

"Girl weren't you listening?" Kanonji shouted. "I told you to go!" Rukia shoved against the Hollow. It shoved back, harder.

"And I'm telling you," she grunted, "that you can't fight this thing!" With another yell, she shoved the Hollow to the side. It tumbled into the ground, hitting the side of the hospital with a heavy thud that shook the walls.

She adjusted her grip on her katana, watching as the Hollow took mere seconds to recover. It pushed against the hospital propelling itself forward. Rukia met it again, slashing at it, blade getting caught in its huge hands. Shit, this wasn't good. It pushed against her, not caring that its palms were bleeding. She slid back in the dirt.

In the meantime, Kanonji was sneaking to the other side of the beast, ridiculous winged cane hefted over his head. With a "mighty" yell he slammed his cane onto the Hollow's back.

 _Thwack!_

It didn't even flinch. It just turned its head toward Kanonji, looking very pissed off, eyes focused on the cane. It cracked open its mouth, and let out an angry growl, shoving aside Rukia's sword, causing her to stumble, but not quite fall.

Kanonji suddenly looked much less sure of himself. He was holding his cane tightly in his hand, paling. Rukia hoped to god that he would do what his instincts were telling him to do and run, but he stood his ground.

Rukia did the first thing she could think of. She ran straight into Kanonji, tackling him shoulder first, sending them both to the ground yet again. She heard a loud impact barely a meter away.

She picked herself up quickly, eyes searching for the Hollow. It had managed to get itself stuck into the outer wall of the hospital, this time. It was having trouble prying itself from the hole it had made in its own anger, but like before, it was making quick work of its recovery.

All she could think of was how bad that would have been if the Hollow had barreled into the crowd instead of the building. She needed to get this under control.

"Ah! A Golden Chance!" Kanonji cheered. Rukia ignored him. She grabbed his jacket sleeve, hoisting him up and away from the Hollow. She ran.

Rukia broke the glass doors of the hospital with the blunt edge of her sword, and keeping a tight grip on Kanonji's sleeve, dragged him through, deaf to his protests. She could hear the Hollow, and it was definitely angry. She only hoped this would work.

"What are you doing?!" Kanonji questioned. "When I told you to run, I meant alone! I have to go back there!"

Rukia grabbed the front of Kanonji's jacket, and dragged him in front of her, bringing him down to eye level. She could barely contain her anger.

She said quietly, "If you want to go back there and face a three-meter-tall monster, be my guest."

He daintily removed her hand, saying, "Thank you! That's what I've been trying to do this whole time." He turned and began jogging away.

"Wait, I wasn't serious!" Rukia called to him, exasperated. "You'll get yourself killed out there!"

"I'll be fine," he said with a wave of his hand. "I am, after all, a hero." There was no way this guy was serious, Rukia thought.

She looked at him in his ridiculous hat and cape. He was definitely serious.

How did you even begin to get through to someone like this, someone so off in their own little world? She supposed she'd just have to pretend that world existed. She improvised.

"But, if you go out there," she said not even having to fake her desperation, "the Hollow might follow you. You'd be putting all those innocent people out there in danger!" Then she added, as an afterthought, "A hero would never do that!"

He seemed taken aback at first. He stopped dead in his tracks, and tilted his head, considering.

He eventually said, "I guess you're right, girl!" Rukia let out a sigh of relief. "You're quite the quick thinker, you know. We should be partners!"

There he was, back in the clouds. If she could get him to focus on the issue at hand for more than a single goddamn second it would be a miracle. Still, she got the result she wanted. Now, all that was left to do was wait for the Hollow.

Here in this abandoned building was the man it was royally pissed off at and the most powerful Soul in the city. There was no way that Hollow was going anywhere else. All she had to do was wait for it to make its appearance. Suddenly, Rukia felt the ground subtly shake beneath her.

 _Perfect!_

Her eyes darted around the barren hall, nothing but bits of glass and whatever was nailed to the ground when this place was condemned. There, just behind them, near the receptionist's desk the ground started to swell and crack. With an ear-piercing shriek, the Hollow busted straight through the tiled floor.

Dust clouded Rukia's vision for a moment as bits of rubble fell near her feet. She tightened her grip on her katana, backing further into the hallway. She hefted her sword above her head, preparing for a strike. She tried to bring it down.

Tried being the keyword, here. She looked up and realized her mistake.

The tip of the blade was stuck in the ceiling. About a hand's length of it was wedged up in there, cutting a deep groove. She tugged and pulled at it. It wouldn't come back down. Of all the stupid mistakes to make…

She braced herself for impact, praying that however the Hollow attacked it wouldn't hurt too badly. She shut her eyes.

Shockingly, she wasn't eaten alive in the next ten seconds. Rukia opened her eyes again.

Kanonji's back was to her, and the first thing she thought was that maybe she should have given him a bit more credit. He stood his ground, unharmed, his ridiculous staff wedged in the Hollow's mouth, holding it open. Though his arms were visibly shaking, he was actually holding the creature back.

"Partner!" he called over his shoulder. "You have taught me a valuable lesson today. For this, I will protect you!"

It was probably the corniest thing Rukia had ever heard. It didn't even make sense, really, but she nodded anyway. She tried with new fervor to get her sword from the ceiling, pulling using her whole body. How did it even manage to get this stuck?!

She could hear Kanonji's staff start to crack. They didn't have time for this!

"Let me help you with that, Partner! I'll use Kanonji's Ultimate Final Technique!"

Okay, Ultimate and Final meant the same thing but okay.

He gathered energy around his clenched hand. The power she was feeling from it was actually pretty impressive, similar to whenever Ichigo casted a Kidō. Maybe this guy wasn't the idiot she took him for.

"Kanon Ball!"

He opened his hand, producing a ping-pong ball of energy that sputtered around with the energy and speed of a lazy bumble bee.

Rukia really should have known…

It very slowly reached the place where steel met sheetrock, and _BOOM!_ Rukia ducked just in time to avoid the blast, tugging her katana away from the freshly created hole. Hey, as long as it worked.

"Thanks!" she yelled to him.

 _CRACK!_

The cane finally snapped in half in that moment, Kanonji darting away just in time to not get his hand bitten off. He dived out of the way entirely after that, throwing Rukia a thumbs up. That would make things a little easier, at least.

The Hollow charged.

Part III

For this Hollow barely being an hour old, it sure could fight.

 _Dodge its claws. Strike before it can recover. SHIT!_

Ichigo had said something about powerful Hollows being ones that have eaten many Souls. It certainly explained the power behind the psychopath that tried to kill Renji. It didn't explain this beast.

 _Duck, duck, DUCK!_

It shouldn't have been this strong, but here it was, getting very close to kicking her ass.

 _FUCK, it almost got me!_

She had no idea what she'd done to deserve this kind of crappy luck. Here she was stuck fighting this unreasonably powerful monster in a cramped hallway. One too-wide slice and she could end up getting her blade stuck in some wall. On the other hand, if she tried going to more open space, she'd be putting the lives of innocent people at risk. She was stuck in more ways than one.

"That's it, girl. That Hollow's in for it now!" Maybe she'd be able to think of a solution to this predicament if Kanonji could be quiet for even a single minute.

Her sword crashed into the same wall for about the fifth time, leaving a deep groove. She let out a yell of pure frustration, slicing at the Hollow again and missing.

"Partner!" Kanonji yelled. She didn't have time for this right now! "You can't fight properly in this place, can you?"

"Not really!" she yelled back. "This place is too damn small!" Normally Rukia tried not to curse (out loud), especially in front of strangers. Byakuya considered it crass and impolite. Right now, she didn't care.

The Hollow charged again, barreling right toward her. She tumbled to the side, avoiding it by a hair, causing it to fall into one of the open doors of the room, making that door frame just a little wider.

"This hospital has a very large roof upstairs!" Kanonji said quickly. "We can lead the Hollow there." That was probably the first useful thing the man's said all day. In the meantime, the Hollow was starting to recover.

"Use one of your Kanon Balls," she said, backing up slowly. "Get it right in the mask. It might stun it enough for us to make a break for it."

Kanonji sputtered for a moment, getting up from his original position on the floor. Rukia was already looking for the stairwell.

"I can't do two of those! Can't you see how worn out I am, now?"

"You're going to have to!" Rukia yelled. The Hollow had already climbed out into the corridor, brushing rubble off its body just as Rukia found the stairwell. It was now or never.

The second she saw Kanonji start to gather that same energy in his hand, she started gunning for the Hollow, angling her sword to clip it from below, the only angle she could safely use. She could hear Kanonji curse as the energy flickered, refusing to solidify.

She attacked the Hollow once again, driving it back with mild success. It came back at her snarling and angry. The energy flickered away again. She drove it back with the slash of her sword.

On the next strike, her katana embedded itself into the grout of the tile. The Hollow descended upon her.

 _BANG!_

An explosion knocked the Hollow back. It screamed.

Rukia wasted no time using all her weight to leverage the sword out of the tile. She dislodged it, as well as some of the tile itself, and immediately started running, Kanonji right behind her.

"Follow me!" she yelled, running straight toward the sign labelled "stairs." She wrenched open the door, and the second her foot touched the first step, she could hear the Hollow thumping against the floor, running straight toward them. It didn't sound happy.

The two tore up the stairs, trying to block out the animalistic screeching of the Hollow pursuing them. As they went up the flights, they could feel the stairs rumbled beneath them, they could hear metal and sheetrock being torn to shreds.

They ran a little faster.

The roof exit didn't come fast enough, the structure of the stairs degrading by the second thanks to the Hollow's rage. She wrenched open the door, and they reached the roof.

A helicopter flew above, the noise of its propellers so intense it nearly blocked out the sound of the angry Hollow. All she could think was: _Seriously, people are still filming this?_

Kanonji immediately collapsed onto the rooftop. Poor guy probably hadn't exerted himself this much in his whole life. Rukia was exhausted, too, but she didn't let herself feel it. She moved to the center of the roof and waited. Kanonji scrambled back from the door when the creature grew close.

It ripped through the door, tearing it off its hinges entirely, and let out a great roar. It was angrier than ever, and seeing its face, Rukia understood why. Its bone-white mask wasn't so white anymore. It was covered in scorch marks and scratches, and one of its eye sockets was now wider than it used to be, cracks surrounding it. Rukia would never doubt the "Kanon Ball" ever again.

The monster seemed to know it was finally at a disadvantage, taking stock of its surroundings. It flicked its tongue out at her, taunting, and she kept her eyes firmly on it, keeping it at her front at all times. It charged again, but this time, Rukia had much more room to dodge. She tumbled to the side, letting it hit the railing of the roof hard.

She didn't wait for the Hollow to get back up this time. It barely turned to her, pieces of its mask falling away. It was weaker than ever, and before it could stumble back to its feet, she sliced it straight across the face, cutting the mask clean in half.

"You did it!" Kanonji cried out, sounding exhausted. "We defeated the beast!" He pumped his fists in the air, looking about as happy as he could sitting on the ground.

The Hollow's body began peeling away.

"Hey, what's happening to it?" Kanonji asked, breathlessly. "…It's that Spirit from before."

There in the Hollow's place stood the male Spirit from earlier, his face relaxed, hole still in his chest. It sealed over, and he melted away.

"I thought…I thought…" Kanonji stuttered. "I exorcised them. I sent them to heaven."

Rukia shook her head solemnly, sheathing her sword. Kanonji's shoulders fell.

"So, what have I been doing?" he asked. "All that time…"

Rukia walked over to him. She felt like she wanted to sit on the ground, too, every aching muscle making itself known. She instead held out a hand to Kanonji. He grabbed it numbly, hoisting himself up, and though he had to lean against the dented railing, he stayed up.

"Well, you weren't sending them to heaven," Rukia half heartedly joked. Kanonji hunched in on himself further. Her mouth fell into a grim line. "You can't change what you did before," she started, "but you can change what you do next. I mean, you helped me, didn't you?"

He looked down at her, and though his eyes were shielded by his sunglasses, she could read him like a book. He was completely crushed, he was remorseful, he was grateful. Maybe she had judged him too quickly.

Above them a helicopter's blades spun loudly. Below them a silent crowd waited in anticipation.

"Besides," she added, "everyone's waiting for you…hero."

With hesitation, Kanonji turned, and saw the crowd. Murmurs spread amongst them.

"Thanks, girl." A huge smile broke out on his face. He crossed his arms over his chest in his trademark pose and let out a "Bohahaha!" Every single person in that crowd did it back happily.

Rukia took that time to slip away from the roof, going back to the stairwell. Her work here was done.

"Wait, girl! Where'd you go? I wanted to make you my number one pupil!"

Part IV

Rukia felt every step she took climbing down those stairs. Her exhaustion was bone-deep, and she could already tell this fight gave her quite a collection of scratches and bruises. It certainly didn't help that the stairwell was near destroyed. Concrete steps had deep gouges and cracks in them, and parts of the railing weren't even there anymore. It was like walking through a half-finished demolition job or a haunted house. She let out a sigh of relief when she finally reached the bottom of the steps.

"Rukia!" yelled a voice that sounded a lot like her own but was just a _little off._ Paku was barreling toward Rukia at high speed. "We came as fast as we could!" Rukia braced herself for impact.

The Mod Soul skidded to a stop mere centimeters away.

"We're going to have to teach you about manners one of these days…" Rukia muttered. Paku stuck out her tongue childishly.

"Hey, don't go so fast!" another voice gasped out. Renji came in at a quick pace right behind Paku, looking a little winded. Behind him was Ichigo, jogging at a leisurely pace and inspecting his cellphone.

"You got the Hollow," he said sounding pleased.

"I got the Hollow," Rukia said. "Can I get my body back, now?"

It didn't take too long to get Rukia back in her usual form, and for Paku to be back in her stuffed animal body and placed in a (for now open) backpack.

"What took you guys so long anyway?" Rukia asked, straightening out her skirt. There was dirt and grass all over it…

"Oh!" Paku exclaimed loudly right in Rukia's ear.

"Watch it," Rukia warned, wincing. Paku, of course, ignored her.

"I faked a heart attack!" she said, as if that were something to be very proud of. Rukia let out a long sigh.

"Please explain."

"Apparently Paku can speed up her heart rate, too," Ichigo said. "She faked being in distress and then gave the guards the run around for a bit. It took longer than we thought it would to lose them."

"She was going so fast I thought the guards' heads would start spinning," Renji said through chuckles. "Don't worry, though. We did this in the back, so no one saw you twitching on the ground like a crazy woman."

Admittedly, she was a little worried about that, but those worries were replaced by images of Paku's over-acting. She couldn't help but giggle as she imagined the shocked faces of the security guards with her friends absolutely losing it in the back. The giggles soon turned into chuckles and before she knew it she was laughing out loud.

"Yeah, "like" a crazy woman," Paku snarked.

Still smiling, Rukia said, "I could always zip the backpack up again, you know."

"Oh yeah," Paku sneered. "Good luck getting away from the guards without me on your way out." Rukia rolled her eyes.

"How are we getting back out there, anyway?" Renji asked.

"Running's always an option," Rukia offered.

"My mom's in the crowd, remember. I can't just leave her there."

Ichigo dug around in one of his pockets, and after a moment pulled out his Memory Replacer.

"It's a good thing I brought this, then," he said with a smirk.

"That should work," said Renji. Rukia could hear Paku giggling manically behind her.

They went outside to five guards searching the area for them, flashlights out. They were spotted within in seconds, but before the guards could even touch them, Ichigo pushed the head on his Memory Replacer. The group immediately started sneaking away.

"…Hey, weren't we just doing something right now?" the first guard asked. The second one nodded.

"Yeah, we're supposed to be guarding the back, remember?" the third one said.

"Oh, yeah…"

The four of them were out of sight before the guards had even noticed they were there in the first place.

They came to a dwindling crowd. The shoot was over, it was late, and most everyone had already headed home, almost everyone, anyway.

"Renji, where were you?" Miné called, standing from her seat on a gnarled tree stump. "Don't just go disappearing like that, young man!"

"Sorry, mom, I was helping Rukia get her…" he stumbled across the words, eyes darting to the first notable thing he saw. It was Paku, staying stock still. He grabbed her from Rukia's open backpack, holding her carefully. "I was helping her get this!"

Paku looked like she'd start crying for joy if she could. Miné's lips pursed, suspicious, looking to Rukia for confirmation. Rukia kept her face perfectly blank, not saying a word.

"Well, that was nice of you," she conceded. Cracking a smile she continued, "You missed the best part, actually…" She went on to excitedly explain all that had gone on in that hospital from her perspective.

According to the othere woman, Kanonji, after a successful exorcism, was driven back by another more malicious Spirit. It dragged him into the hospital and trapped him in there for over half an hour. Just as all hope was lost, he appeared on the roof as a triumphant hero.

The inaccuracies were staggering, but to be honest, Rukia didn't mind the story.

"It sounds like we missed a lot, Ms. Abarai," she said eventually, "but I should probably get going. My brother will be expecting me home any minute."

"You should walk with us," Miné offered with a smile. "It's too late to be walking around alone."

"Thank you, Ms. Abarai, but I can handle myself," she answered politely.

"Come on," Miné insisted. "We'll be on the same road for most of the way, anyway. You too, Shiba. You should come with us."

"My place is a little out of the way," he said quickly, already walking in the other direction. "Maybe next time." With a wave, he left for…wherever he normally goes at night. Rukia wasn't really sure.

She was sure that he was avoiding her place for some reason, though.

Miné didn't look to happy about Ichigo leaving so quickly and turned that hurt/hopeful look to Rukia. Even after all these years of knowing the woman, Rukia was still weak to it.

"Lead the way," Rukia said with a shrug. Miné beamed and did just that.

Walking back to her home with the mother and son duo brought back all kinds of memories. She remembered being a little kid and walking back from karate practice with Renji every single time. Usually, it was Byakuya walking them back, but occasionally Miné stepped in. She was quickly dubbed "the fun one." She'd buy them ice cream, bring them to the park, and in general treat them any way she could.

It seemed like she was always doing one thing or another for others. It was moments like these that Rukia was reminded why Renji admired his mom as much he did.

They reached Rukia's house before she even realized it, and Rukia was forced to wave the two goodbye before she even felt ready for it. Almost in a haze, she walked into her quiet house.

"I'm home."

The TV was on in the background, warm lights on overhead. Byakuya was sitting at the kitchen table going over legal papers that Rukia didn't understand.

"How was your night?" he asked, briefly glancing up from his work.

Wasn't that the question of the year? A part of her wanted to spill absolutely everything and run through all the complicated things she felt and experienced. A part of her also knew that was a rant better saved for Renji tomorrow afternoon. For now…

"It was alright."

She walked quickly upstairs, and her brother went back to his paperwork. Some things were better left unsaid.

* * *

 **Feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think of the story so far. For those of you who remember this arc...You know who's coming next.**


	8. VIII

**It is time!**

* * *

Part I

"We're getting close," Ichigo muttered. Rukia could feel it. The Hollow they've been looking for was just up ahead. She sprinted forward. They weren't going to lose it this time.

This Hollow was an allusive one, and according to Ichigo, very powerful, too. It had been causing trouble along this road for the last couple of days, but only now did they finally manage to track it down.

Rukia turned the corner, so close she could taste it. Behind her, Ichigo suddenly skidded to a stop.

"It's gone…" he grumbled with a scowl, hitting the phone a few times against his palm.

"Gone?" Rukia asked. "Do you mean it ran off again, or…"

"No, I mean it's gone," he said, insistently, and looking down the street Rukia could see he was right. There was a knocked over telephone pole, some mild road damage, and no Hollow…dammit.

"Not again," she mumbled. "What is this, the fifth time this month one has just up and disappeared on us? This is starting to get creepy."

"For once I agree with you," added Ichigo. "Even I don't know what's going on, here." With a sigh, he closed his flip phone. "Welp, nothing to do here. We should head back."

For once, Rukia didn't feel relieved at the prospect of not fighting a Hollow. This whole situation left her on edge, and she couldn't help but be puzzled about what on earth could be causing this.

"Do you think it's another Shinigami?" she asked, keeping pace with Ichigo.

"Naw," he said. "We would have come across them by now if that was the case. This has to be something else."

"Like…?"

Ichigo's lips pursed and his eyebrows scrunched.

"It could be another Hollow," he finally said. "Those bastards got a nasty habit of eating each other when Souls stop being enough to satisfy them. That kind of thing only ever happens in Hueco Mundo, though." Rukia frowned.

"Then our options are a Shinigami that we for some reason haven't seen and a ridiculously powerful Hollow that hasn't shown up on our radar, yet?"

"Pretty much," he said with a grimace.

"Sounds like fun," she said sarcastically.

"Hey, at least we're getting back in time for lunch period."

Rukia held back a snicker, but a smile crept on her face, anyway.

"What?" he asked with a glare. A few giggles escape Rukia's lips.

"Nothing, nothing," she said, walking forward. "I'm just wondering when you started caring about school so much."

"Watch it…" he warned. Rukia held up her hands placatingly.

"I get it, I really do," she started. "The last time you were at school was in the Heian Era and you miss it. Really, it's fine, gramps."

"Rukia…" he said ominously.

"Yeah?" She was holding back laughter.

"Start running."

She did, giggling all the way. He was chasing after her with pure murder in his eyes, and the chase took them all the way back to the school grounds. She wasn't even mad when eventually he caught up to her and cuffed her on the back of the head. If anything, she only laughed harder.

"Yeah, yeah you goddamn Hyena. You still gotta find Paku." If anything could sober Rukia up, it was that.

"I'll check the swim club," she said. Ichigo shook his head.

"The soccer club just started practice today."

Rukia sighed, "Of course it did."

In some ways, having Paku babysit her body was so much harder than just locking it up in the shed. Yes, a certain level of danger was gone, but seeing…yourself…sit on the stands where everyone could see you, staring dreamily at the boys' soccer club was just demoralizing. Rukia dragged Paku away by the ear.

"Oh, come on, just one more minute!" Paku cried out.

"No! And don't talk to me in public like this. Do you want people to think I'm crazy and talking to ghosts?"

"Should I answer that, or…"

A minute and a quick once over later and Rukia had a green piece of candy in her fist and her body back on her. She walked back to 1-3, meeting Ichigo right by the door.

"Soccer team. Knew it," he gloated, taking a long sip of his canned coffee.

Walking into the class, things were energetic as usual. Keigo came barreling towards Ichigo at high speed, the Shinigami sidestepping him at the very last second.

Class was starting soon, but it seemed no one was ready to let this break go. A few of the girls were in a heated conversation about the merits of the newest season of _Ghost Hunter_ , Keigo (who had quickly recovered from his fall) was once again interrogating Ichigo about how he was apparently madly in love with Rukia, and Renji was quietly waving her over, flashing a few of his mom's homemade cookies.

Rukia made a beeline for Renji, mouth already watering. She didn't have much time to eat earlier, so this was a godsend!

In the midst of all this controlled chaos, there was one person that seemed to be in his own little world. He was sitting down at his desk eating a store-bought lunch and keeping his head down. He would have seemed lonely if he didn't look so serious.

That kid, the one so introverted that even Rukia thought he could stand to live a little, was Uryuu Ishida, and he certainly was an odd one. Then again, that might not be a fair statement, considering how little she actually knew about him.

She knew he didn't like to drag attention to himself. He stayed quiet, sat in the back, and always kept silent during class meetings. The only time she's ever heard him speak was when asked to specifically do so by a teacher.

She also knew that despite all these attempts to stay under the radar, he just couldn't seem to do so. Even with his plain looks he had an intensity about him that made him hard to ignore. It didn't help that he happened to be at the very top of the class, either.

Rukia watched quietly, munching on a cookie as Michuru approached Ishida, looking very unsure of herself. She was clutching a strange looking cat doll with a wide tear on its side.

"Ishida…" she eventually started, "I was wondering if you could–"

Before she could even get the next word out, he had snatched it away from her hands. He quickly retrieved a sewing kit from his bag, and with a few fancy flourishes, the tear was gone.

"It…it's fixed!" Michuru cried happily, doll back in hand. "Thank you, Ishida!"

"There's no need for gratitude," he said coldly. "It wasn't a difficult fix." After that, he turned back to his lunch and his book.

She almost forgot to add that he was on the sewing club with Michuru. According to her, he didn't talk to anyone there, either.

Just as Rukia was about to turn away, she found Ishida staring right back at her, holding her gaze. His expression was blank, but his eyes were intense.

With a gulp, she turned away, trying to pretend that she was caught up in the conversations around her.

Part II

Renji thought that today had been pretty normal, good even. Nothing freaky had happened, and Ichigo and Rukia had come back from their Hollow-hunt in record time. There was no second Hollow, no strange twist. He didn't even have to help. Things were peaceful.

This is what he felt walking side by side with Rukia out of the gates of Karakura High, wrapped up in a conversation about the Judo Championships.

"So, it's a bet then?" she asked with a sly smile.

"Pfft, yeah, let's call it a bet," he said with his own. "If for some crazy reason Turkey doesn't take Gold in Heavyweight then I'll…" he trailed off, unsure.

"No, no," Rukia interrupted, " _when_ Russia gets Gold in Heavyweight you're taking Paku home for a night." Renji paled at the thought. Still, it wasn't like he could just back out.

"Deal," he said confidently, grinning, but he was distracted by Ichigo coming up behind them in a fast paced jog.

"Rukia," Ichigo said, "we have to talk about today."

"Something happened today?" Renji wondered out loud. "But you guys were back so quickly."

First, taking a cursory glance around the area, Rukia said, "Another Hollow disappeared on us. Ichigo thinks a larger one might be hunting them."

"It's more of a hunch," he said, "but basically."

"Sounds serious," said Renji.

"It could be if we don't take care of this, soon," Ichigo agreed.

"Yeah, 'soon'," Rukia said with a frown. "We haven't even picked up the thing on the locator, yet."

"Wait, how is that possible?"' asked Renji.

Ichigo crossed his arms and with a scowl said, "It shouldn't be, but we can't discount the possibility." He turned to Rukia. "Clear out your schedule, tomorrow. We're investigating this thing."

"I have school tomorrow," Rukia said with narrowed eyes. "I can't just clear my schedule."

"Call in sick or something," Ichigo suggested. Rukia made a face like she had just bitten into a lemon. Renji snickered. "I'll see you first thing in the morning at the school gates," Ichigo finished, stepping away. After a quick wave, he left to where ever he went to after he just kind of…runs off. Rukia didn't have a good answer, but whenever someone asked him he'd say he lived with his "aunt."

"You know," Renji said after Ichigo disappeared, "I hope that this whole thing doesn't last for too long. If this dragged on until midterms, you'd probably have an aneurism."

Rukia's eyes widened. Renji blinked.

"You seriously forgot, didn't you?"

Rukia nodded numbly. "When are they, again." Renji hesitated for a moment.

"The day after tomorrow…"

She turned pale, and wow, Renji never thought he'd see the day when Rukia Orikasa forgot about a test. Most of the time when this conversation happened it was the other way around.

"Okay, okay, don't sweat it," Renji said with a shaky smile. "We can both study at your place. It's still early, you know?" Her shoulders relaxed a fraction. Hey, improvement was improvement.

It was endearing, in a way, that the same girl that could face down monsters and spirits like it was no big deal could get so high strung about grades.

"Thanks, Renji," she said with a nervous smile.

"No prob."

It wasn't a very long walk to her house. They were at the front door in only a few minutes. The house was still empty, leaving the living room wide open for their afternoon study session

Rukia ran up the stairs quickly to put Paku back in her plush body. Renji started setting up the table. Hopefully his notes would be enough.

…

Yeah, they were probably screwed, but Rukia didn't need to know that.

She came padding down the stairs soon after, soft squeaks right behind her. It took about a second for Paku to spot him and rush over to jump on his lap with happy "squee!". At this point, he wasn't even surprised.

"Rukia, you brought Renji! Renji!" she cried with a few happy bunny-hops. Renji backed away, feeling the urge to throw her off. He was relieved when Rukia did it for him, grabbing Paku by the ear and flinging her into the TV. She his it with a gentle bounce.

"I was thinking we'd start with math today," said Rukia, professional and not missing a beat.

"Good of a place as any."

She cracked open the text book, going to their most recent lesson, luckily taking out her own detailed notes to go from. They spent roughly the next hour reading through them, running practice problems, memorizing key terms, formulas, the works.

To be honest, he didn't get much of it. Math was never really his thing, and even with her help, so much of it went over his head. He accepted himself as a lost cause to this stuff a while ago. She insisted there was no such thing.

Despite her best efforts, Renji ended up getting distracted somewhere between here and there. He kept on noticing these little, strange things, like the way Rukia kept tucking her hair behind her ear, the way she rolled her pencil between her fingers whenever she was thinking, how her brows knitted ever so slightly when she came across a difficult problem. He felt how warm she was, sitting this close to him.

He thought about how, despite his new powers, in the world of Shinigami, Hollows, and Mod Souls, he was slowly falling behind.

Part III

The next day came, and with it, came a loose plan for catching this hypothetical Hollow. Find it, chase it, wait. It wasn't rocket science, but hopefully it would be enough.

Well, maybe it was a little more complicated than that. They were going for the same method they used when tracking down Paku. They were to cover as much ground as possible using Rukia's abilities, Paku's speed, and Ichigo's senses to their advantage. (And while a fourth man may have helped, Rukia couldn't let Renji come along when they could be going against such a powerful Hollow. His abilities were still new, and her conscience just couldn't handle her best friend getting hurt like that.)

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Rukia kept a keen eye on the town. She couldn't afford to be distracted.

All day she'd been out here searching, and she's found nothing but two incredibly weak Hollows that took about a minute each to dispatch. There was still no word from Paku _or_ Ichigo.

Standing up on the corner of a tall office building, she couldn't help but think _hey, at least the view isn't bad._ Looking over the town like this wasn't something you got to do every day.

Karakura town was mesmerizing, everything buzzing with a quiet energy below her. The sleepy little town felt peaceful, alive. The traffic was mild, people milled about, and here she was, standing above them all like a guardian angel. To be honest, it wasn't a town she minded guarding.

Her eyes were dragged away from the view by Paku, bounding over rooftops at top speed. Finally, something was happening.

As Paku came closer, Rukia noticed a few things. She looked a little roughed up. She wasn't hurt or anything, but she was disheveled, like she had just been in a fight. She came to Rukia out of breath and off balance. Something was wrong.

"Ichigo…" Paku panted. Rukia paled.

"What's wrong?" she demanded. Paku gulped down another breath.

"Hollow…" she finally said. "There's a Hollow, a big one." Rukia felt ice grip her heart.

"Take me there."

Without a word, Paku led Rukia back, going as quickly as she could without leaving Rukia behind entirely, and the closer they got to the scene, the more that Rukia could sense.

Yeah, the Hollow was a big one, powerful, too. In the back of her mind, Rukia thought that this might be the Hollow they were looking for. Mostly, though, she was worried about Ichigo.

She knew he could handle a smaller Hollow with a Kidō spell or two. His powers have recovered at least a little since she first "borrowed" them. She also knew that what she was sensing was beyond his current capabilities.

They made it to the battle scene much later than Rukia would have liked, in a downtown residential district. There stood the Hollow.

It was a large spiny monstrosity. It had huge claws (stained red) and was covered in bone-white armor. It was crouching in the blown-out wall of a condemned apartment building, and inside that apartment was Ichigo, back to a wall, preparing a Kidō spell with one hand and clutching his shoulder tightly with his other.

The Hollow approached with a low growl and Rukia knew she couldn't afford to waste any more time. With an angry cry, she drew her sword and charged right for the monster.

The Hollow stopped in its tracks suddenly. It took Rukia a second to see the beam of light that was skewered through its head, piercing its mask. Without a sound it disintegrated.

Rukia's grip on her sword loosened. She was utterly speechless. What the hell…

She saw a flash of white out of the corner of her eye. It was right on the roof of a building, only a few meters away, right across the street. On the top of it stood Uryuu Ishida.

He was dressed in all-white, a cape around his shoulders. A bow made of light was in his right hand, and with a flick of his wrist, it disappeared. He stood there, radiant as he looked down at the scene before him, something like disgust in his eyes. He stepped away from the ledge of the roof and retreated out of sight.

"Sh-should I chase after him?" Paku asked quietly.

"No," Rukia said, eyes still on that roof. She said again, firmer, "No, we have to help Ichigo. I doubt Ishida will go very far." Without thinking twice about it, Rukia ran into the destroyed building towards Ichigo.

He was still standing at least, struggling and leaning heavily against a weakened wall. A growing bloody-spot was staining his t-shirt. It was just enough to be worrying, and Rukia found herself almost afraid to touch him.

"We need to get you to a hospital," was the first thing out of her mouth. "You need help."

He shook his head "no" but with the movement, grimaced in pain. He sucks in a breath.

"I've had worse," he ended up saying. "I know someone who can fix me up, anyway."

"And what are you planning on doing?" Rukia asked, frustration seeping in. "Are you just going to stumble through the streets all bloodied up to get there?"

"Kinda, yeah," he said, deadpan. Rukia narrowed her eyes, unimpressed.

"How far is this person?"

Ichigo blinked, considering, before his face fell. "At least a few kilometers away…" he almost mumbled. Rukia would have felt vindicated were the situation still not so dire.

"Yeah, well, the hospital's only a few minutes away from here. Paku, I'm going to need my body back."

"Uhh, okay boss," muttered Paku. Ichigo dug his glove out of his pocket without much struggle.

The moment Rukia was back in her body, she went to Ichigo's side, slinging his good arm over her shoulder in an attempt at support.

"Lean on me," she said, "you look like you could fall over any minute, now."

"It's really not that bad…" he insisted, but he ended up putting some of his weight on her, anyway. To be honest, she made a poor crutch being almost half his size, but it ended up being better than nothing. They slowly limped along, recent events settling in their minds. Eventually, Rukia couldn't handle it anymore.

"So, I guess it wasn't a Hollow that was making those other Hollows disappear, huh?"

Ichigo made a noise in agreement, not really responding.

"What was that?" Rukia asked. "What was he?"

"Honestly," Ichigo said quietly, "I don't know."

Rukia didn't know what to say at that.

Part IV

Rukia came to school the next day, and Midterms were the furthest thing from her mind. Everyone else was so focused on their tests, and she could only focus on Ishida, sitting in his normal spot, looking the same as ever, and Ichigo, his seat painfully empty. She tried to keep her mind on the task at hand, but just…couldn't

When the final bell rang everyone got up excitedly. Rukia stayed seated.

"Hey, the Bell rang," Renji said with a raised eyebrow.

"I know," she said, trying not to look behind her. "Go on without me today. Something came up."

Renji stared for a moment, eyes lingering, searching for something. He broke away and nodded.

"I'll see you later, then, Ruk."

"See you later, Renji." The words tasted bitter. He left.

She put her things away slowly and deliberately, walking out of the door at a measured pace. All the while, she kept her eyes on Ishida.

She saw him head straight, walk through the gate, turn right, and she trailed him, keeping out of sight.

She had no idea what she would find in following her classmate. This was all new territory to her. Hollows, she knew, Spirits, she knew. This was a person, and she wasn't even sure what he wanted yet, if he wanted anything.

Bringing a hand to the Soul Candy in her shirt pocket, she thought that she would at least be ready for the worst.

"I believe the point of following someone is to not get caught, Rukia Orikasa."

Rukia flinched, taking a large step back. The sounds of Ishida's steps had stopped. She realized they were alone.

"When did you notice me?" Rukia asked, keeping her voice neutral. She stepped around the corner, and saw Ishida, eyes fixed right on her from his spot on the steps.

"Honestly?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Back in the middle of May, when you first got your Shinigami powers."

Rukia gulped. A part of her was angered by his snide words, and a part of her was a little intimidated. Had he really been on to her that long? He seemed to read the unspoken question on her face.

"It was your Reiraku," he eventually added. She quirked an eyebrow. She'd never even heard of that word before. He continued, "Think of them as ribbons, made of Spiritual Pressure, pouring out from all living things."

With a blink, she tried to focus her eyes along with his words, and for a second, she thought she could see his, a brilliant white, surrounding him. He reached forward and grabbed one of her own, a dark blood red.

"Shinigami always have red ribbons. They give you away all too easily."

Rukia took a deep breath. She couldn't let this kid intimidate her. Schooling her face in a way that she'd seen Byakuya do before, she looked Ishida right in the eye.

"So, you know who I am," she said steadily. "What are you?" He made a disapproving clicking noise in the back of his throat.

"I'm surprised that powerless Shinigami didn't tell you," he said coldly. "For your information, Rukia Orikasa, I am a Quincy, a human born with the ability to kill Hollows."

As he said this, he looked at her with such intensity, such a burning in his eyes. It was the first time Rukia knew what it felt like to be looked at with pure and utter hatred. She looked back at him, gaze steady.

"Thanks for saving Ichigo," she said. "I'm sorry I bothered you, today."

"I'm not letting you go that easily, Orikasa," he said. "I saved him to get your attention, and now I have it. I believe Shinigami to be unnecessary, and today I'd like to prove that."

"What, do you want, a fight?" Rukia asked, gritting her teeth. The situation was going downhill quickly.

"More of a wager, really," he said, pulling a tiny object out of his pocket. It was a tablet about the size of a One Hundred Yen coin. He explained, "This is Hollow bait. When I break it, just about every Hollow in the prefecture will come flocking here. I want to see which one of us can destroy more in twenty-four hours." Rukia faltered.

"Are you kidding me?" she asked, voice escalating. "I refuse! Do you even know how many people could get hurt by something like that?!"

His eyes were cold and unsympathetic as he said, "Then you will have to do your job well, won't you, Shinigami?"

This was exactly why Rukia preferred going against Hollows. They would never do something as crazy as this.

"Besides," he said, tightening his grip around the tablet, "you don't really have a choice in the matter."

He broke it.

* * *

 **I had a lot of fun with this chapter, and I'd love to hear if you had fun with it, too! This was another close call for Friday, and I am considering a different update day to better match my schedule. I will keep you guys posted on any changes, but the next chapter should come out same time as always.**


	9. IX

**Here's the conclusion to this fun little two part-er! I had a lot of fun with this one. Ishida's probably one of my favorite characters in Bleach so getting to write more of him is always a plus, and I have more fun than I should making subtle changes to the manga for my own purposes.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

Part I

Rukia cut down her…was it her tenth or her twelfth Hollow? Maybe it was her twentieth? She lost track a little while ago. Only one thing was certain. This little "challenge" of Ishida's had gotten out of hand.

The area was teeming with Hollows, and without proper detection skills, Rukia could only hope that this place alone was affected. For once, Rukia really missed that little flip-phone of Ichigo's.

The Substitute's senses sharpened as another Hollow appeared nearby, out of sight, and right on the heels of the last one. With a groan, she brandished her katana, and began running toward the presence.

The streets seemed clear. No buildings were destroyed that weren't already by some previous Hollow. This calm belied the presence gnawing at the back of her mind. She continued to run, going purely off instinct, and her feet paused as she crossed a line of trees.

 _The Park._

She ran ahead, weaving through, and it was mere seconds until she spotted a huge Hollow with spindly limbs looming over a cowering couple, a pair of Spirits. The Hollow's mouth slid open in a parody of a grin. The woman shrieked.

Rukia sprung forward and within seconds had speared it through the back of the head. It disintegrated, the couple running for it the second they had the chance.

" _That_ was too close…" Rukia muttered to herself. "Damn you, Ishida."

She'd hoped that being the top of the class actually meant something, that Ishida might have a bit more sense than this, and yet here they were. He had never thought once about who he'd be putting in danger with this little stunt. When she got her hands on him…

Her thoughts were interrupted by movement in the corner of her eye. A bat-winged Hollow flew through the air at top speed in the distance. Just as she begun to try and figure where it might land, something that must have been one of Ishida's arrows pierced straight through it, destroying it in mid-air.

She took a mental note of where it came from, knowing where she'd be headed next.

Of course, it was then that she felt the cold presence of another Hollow at her back. She spun around in an instant and throwing up her sword guarded against its teeth. She could feel its chilled breath on her face as she shoved back against it, wasting no time as she rushed forward and stabbed it in the middle of its mask. It dissolved away.

She panted heavily, leaning on her sword. A moment. All she needed was a moment.

"Rukia!" cried out a voice from beyond the trees. "Rukia!" It was Paku shoving her way through the brush, skidding to a stop right in front of Rukia.

Pushing her damp bangs from her forehead, Rukia asked, "Did you find Ichigo?" Paku shook her head, and Rukia's heart sunk.

"I looked all over the city," Paku said. "He wasn't at the Hospital, he wasn't at the school, he wasn't anywhere!"

Rukia cursed. She needed his help, here.

"What about the shop he bought you at?" Rukia asked. "Did you look there?"

"I was in a box the whole time," Paku said looking just as frustrated as Rukia felt. "I don't actually know where that is."

With a frown, Rukia said, "Just keep searching. We're going to need him."

"On it!" In a burst of wind Paku disappeared.

After that, Rukia moved through the park quickly, on the lookout for Hollows as she slowly made her way to the source of the arrow. She ended up coming across two of them in the process, weaklings that seemed to be missing their boss.

 _I wonder how many Hollows that makes now?_

She shook herself out of those thoughts. Now wasn't the time to be thinking of this idiotic bet.

Then, everything went dark, and Rukia froze.

The pressure in the air increased to oppressive levels, like she was suddenly dragged deep into the ocean. Dragging her eyes upward, she could see the sky. It looked…cracked, like it was made of old porcelain. For a second it reminded her of the gates of hell, but whatever this was, it wasn't here to drag something in.

Things were coming out

Out poured Hollow after Hollow after Hollow. They came in by the dozens, descending upon the city like a swarm, and Rukia felt her heart sink into her stomach.

She knew that there was no way she could do it. She couldn't destroy that many by herself, not when she was already this exhausted.

 _People are going to die._

She stomped down the traitorous thought, and everyone that came before and after. Her speculation didn't matter. Her fear didn't matter. She had to try, and it was as simple as that.

She ran toward the ensuing chaos, preparing herself for the worst.

Part II

Renji wanted some answers.

Rukia has pretty steadily been walking home with him every single day since middle school. That's just how things were, and today, she said she had something else to do. She told him to go on ahead with that dark look on her face.

Equally as worrying was how Ichigo was apparently hospitalized for reasons that no one seemed to actually know, only a day after the two were talking about some giant Hollow that apparently eats other Hollows.

Renji was worried. His best friend in the entire world was risking her life doing god knows what, and he was here, completely unaware.

He wasn't planning on staying that way, though. Before he even left the school grounds, he knew he wanted answers. So, he went to the one location he was sure to get them, the Hospital. Maybe Ichigo could finally tell him what the hell was going on.

This was where he found himself on that particular afternoon. He was walking down a populated street, quickly and with purpose, heading straight for Karakura Town's biggest Hospital.

He was stopped by a booming _SMASH!_

The ground shook, and asphalt bent and broke beneath his feet. People started panicking and screaming around him.

 _"_ _Oh god!"_

 _"_ _Was that an Earthquake?!"_

 _"_ _Everyone get to shelter!"_

People started running, Renji barely avoiding getting knocked aside as he turned and saw that, no, it wasn't an Earthquake.

A large lumbering Hollow with thick limbs and a face as wide as a car was walking through the middle of the road, idly batting away vehicles and pedestrians that stood in its way. Tightening his grip on his bag, Renji figured the trip to the Hospital was going to have to wait. He threw the bag to the side.

"Hey, you big ugly!" he yelled at it. People continued to run past, completely unaware. The Hollow slowly turned to him, its eyes piercing. He knew that with his powers, he probably made a decent meal for this monster, or at least a better meal than the rest of these people. That was good. He could use that.

"You heard me!" he taunted. He wasn't even sure if the thing could understand him, but he seemed to get some kind of response, the Hollow huffing out of its nose like an angry bull. It started coming for him, a little faster this time.

 _Perfect!_

With a smirk, Renji activated his powers. Spikes, dark and deep like shadows jutted from his legs, arms, and anywhere his tattoos used to be. His favorite was probably the two horn-like ones jutting from his head.

The Hollow didn't seem to mind. It kept on moving forward, and Renji suddenly got an idea.

It had taken him a while to figure out this trick. (There were several misshapen gouges in his wall to prove it.) He brought back his leg, like he was winding up for the perfect soccer goal and kicked, launching the spike on his calf straight at the Hollow. It hit it right in the eye.

It let out a low rumbling screech, stumbling back briefly before charging again, unsteady, at full speed, each limb hitting the ground with incredibly force. Renji dove out of the way right before it could connect.

It had kept going, hitting a (thankfully closed) convenience store with a loud _SMASH!_ He scrambled up from the ground before it could free itself, and with another kick, sent a spike straight through its arm, causing it to howl again.

Good, he was getting somewhere. Then again, he also knew that he could fire spikes at it all day and it wouldn't do anything. If he couldn't destroy that mask, he wasn't going to win. He needed to get in close, and considering how tall this beast was, that was easier said than done.

The thing turned to him, and he craned his neck to look at it, stepping back. He knew he could do this. The question was, how?

Dodging out of the way of its smashing fist, he thought maybe he could let it grab him?

 _Nah, I don't really feel like getting snapped in half today._

He watched with a bit of disgust as it did just that to a poor telephone pole that Renji weaved around just in time. He then thought that maybe he could jump up at it?

 _Hey, I'm not Rukia or Paku._

He rolled out of the way of one of the Hollow's stomps, just barely missing it. He wasn't sure if he could keep this up. He had to do something.

It was then that he remembered where he was. He was downtown where the buildings were high and just a little bit older. There were bound to be a few with some old fire escapes. All he had to do was find one…

 _There!_

He spotted one hanging on an old apartment complex in a nearby alleyway. He started running.

He could hear the Hollow barreling after him, but he didn't dare turn back. The second he reached the wall, he almost threw himself at it, dragging down the ladder with a jump, and climbing up it. He made quick progress, and the Hollow couldn't follow, not being as big as it was, and not with one injured arm. It settled for shaking the structure as hard as it could, the old bolts groaning and popping under the pressure.

By the time he was two stories up, Renji figured he was high enough as he could just see the top of the Hollow's mask. He knew he only had one shot at this, so before he could regret it, he threw himself at the Hollow's mask, leading with his shoulder.

He landed solidly onto its forehead, the spikes in his bicep burrowing deep inside the bone. It scrambled in confusion, shaking and bucking him. It was still alive, still struggling, but one more hit ought to do it.

Tearing his arm free, he gripped the top of his mask, and angling himself just right, swung out and back in, slamming the side of his leg into it, hoping that it would be enough.

With a strangled cry, it started dissolving away, right underneath Renji. His hands passed through thin air.

He tumbled to the ground, hitting it much harder than he intended, but he was grinning, spikes going away the second he touched down. His scrapes and bruises were far from his mind. All he could feel was…Well, he wasn't sure what he was feeling.

He was able to do it, defeat a Hollow on his own. It was so exhilarating, he suddenly understood why a whole legion of Shinigami would do this for a living. Karate spars and even full-blown fights with other people just couldn't compare.

Looking around he could see that the area was mostly cleared out. No one wanted to stick around, not even the shop vendors, for what they probably thought was some kind of catastrophic natural disaster. He was mostly glad that probably meant no one else got hurt.

He started his trek again through the now-abandoned street, grabbing his bag on the way. He wasn't too far from the hospital, now. He reached it in minutes, ignoring the odd stares from all he passed. He honestly had no idea what he looked like. Maybe some of them thought he was trying to check himself in.

The building itself was big, about ten floors high, and well maintained, especially for the neighborhood it was in. He stepped in to tile floors and perfectly white walls. Judging from how calm everyone looked, the "Earthquake" hadn't quite reached here.

He walked right up to the receptionist, knocking on the desk to get her attention. She looked up at him, unimpressed. He cleared his throat, sheepish.

"I'm here to visit someone," he eventually said. "Ichigo Shiba."

"Just one moment, sir," she said, typing away at her computer. He shifted in place, impatient, but after only a moment, with a loud click of her gum, she said, "I'm sorry, he's not here."

"What?" Damn, Renji was really counting on this lead.

"He checked out around noon today, sir. Sorry."

He sighed. "It's fine." He walked out, head hung low.

 _Great_ , he thought. If Ichigo wasn't there, then where was he? That was the question on his mind as he retraced his steps.

When a large crack formed in the sky and Hollows started pouring out at an alarming rate, he stopped thinking about it.

 _Oh, no._

But when he ran forward, trying to get to the chaos as fast as he could, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement.

Part III

Ishida was in the thick of it all, shooting down Hollow after Hollow, when Rukia found him. He looked detached, his face serene. A bright blue light casted on him from his bow, and in those pristine white garments, he looked like a painting.

It made Rukia absolutely furious.

How could he, after causing all this chaos, look like this? He didn't have the right. No one did.

"Ishida!" she yelled out at him, anger seeping into her voice. "I thought you said, 'every Hollow in the prefecture?' You didn't say anything about opening a portal to Hueco Mundo!"

He lets loose another arrow before turning to her, raising a hand to adjust his glasses. His hand flinched away the second they touched the rims.

As his hand drew back, Rukia saw his fingertips, bloody and frayed. His hand trembled slightly, and for a second, he didn't look so picturesque. He looked like he was reaching his limit.

"It was a minor miscalculation," he said, tucking his hand into his pocket. "How many Hollows have you killed so far, Orikasa?" She ignored the question.

"A minor miscalculation that put the whole town in danger," she sneered, striding toward him, reaching again for her sword. He took a half step back, arrow already in his hand.

She ran at him, but he was just a bit too slow. By the time he had gotten his bow up she had…

Run straight past him.

Rukia connected with the Hollow directly behind Ishida, its claws stopping mere centimeters from his back. With a single well-placed stab, it disappeared. Ishida looked back at her, surprised. She turned back to him.

"If we want to find our way out of this," she said with a frown, "you need to forget about this competition." She could already feel more Hollows advancing. Time was not on their side today.

"It's not so simple for me!" he said, starting to raise his voice. The first Hollow darted out of the trees, bounding toward them at a rapid pace. Ishida shot it down before it could get too close.

"I get it," Rukia said, spying another, hunched just behind the tree line, looking like it was ready to charge. "You have some deep-rooted hatred for Shinigami. Is that really worth your life?"

The crouching Hollow jumped at that moment, and Rukia went forward to meet it, stopping it in its tracks. She shoved it off the second another one decided to pounce, slicing through the second one's mask, and before the first had the chance to attack again, Ishida fired another arrow at it, destroying it.

He came forward and stood there at her back, exhausted and on edge, facing the hoard by her side. It was then that the Hollows truly advanced.

"This alliance is temporary," he said amidst the roars.

"Fine by me."

The fighting started, and Rukia had to admit, the two of them made a pretty decent team when they put their minds to it. As long as they kept an eye out for each other, Ishida's range and Rukia's power worked nicely together. They defended the other when needed, with a single goal in mind:

 _Don't die._

Rukia wasn't sure how long this all went on, but she did know that, after a while, adrenaline just wasn't enough. Her and Ishida started to feel exhaustion set in after what must have been non-stop fighting for the last several hours.

It was under the weight of a bullfrog-like Hollow the size of a fully-grown bull that Rukia started the buckle. Its slimy skin made the grip on her sword falter, and with Ishida on the other side of the clearing, trying his best not to get eaten by the three Hollows bearing down on him, she knew they had run out of luck.

 _CRACK!_

Without warning the Hollow was pushed back, just barely rolling over before it dissolved, and just as Rukia was about to thank Ishida for the save, she saw another figure step away from the disappearing Hollow's remains. It was her own.

"Paku?!"

The Mod Soul flashed Rukia a grin before speeding towards another Hollow, bounding off a tree and landing a kick right in its face. In a fluid move, she followed through in midair, and it started disintegrating, too. It was sometimes a little too easy to forget that Paku was literally designed for this. With a renewed vigor, Rukia continued fighting.

It wasn't much longer, and the three had managed to thin out the Hollows' number considerably. The terrifying herd had been broken up, and those left were running away, tails between their legs. The relief was palpable.

"…Is it over?" asked Paku, panting slightly.

"It should be," Ishida said, aiming for one of the running Hollows. He fired, hitting it dead on. With a long sigh, Rukia reached to sheath her katana.

Before she could even touch the scabbard, she saw the still present crack in the sky widen. A new pressure went through the air, one unlike anything that Rukia had ever felt before

Rukia brought her sword in front of her again, grip tightening, as Ishida prepared his bow with another arrow. Paku stepped back, fear plain on her face.

If you had, in that moment, asked Rukia what she was expecting to come out of that hole, she probably would just say "more Hollows." She'd face the new army, knowing in the back of her mind that she didn't have it in her take care of yet another one, and pray that she just took down as many of those bastards with her as she could.

Another army of Hollows didn't come out of this crack in the sky. Instead, a single white mask begun to peak out of the tear, so large, only its black empty eyes showed through, using its long clawed hands to stretch it further. It dragged itself out slowly, and with horror, Rukia watched as it got itself halfway out of the tear.

It was absolutely massive, larger than the tallest building in all of Karakura. The pressure it emitted made Rukia's knees shake, and the low growl it let out shook the leaves in the trees. She heard Paku mutter to herself, terrified.

There was no stabbing her way out of this one. Maybe there was no coming back from this one, but seeing that Hollow standing over her home town, large enough to destroy sections of it at a time with a swipe of its arm, triggered something in her mind. She was already stepping forward, sword in front of her, trying to think of how she could do this. A hand stopped her, grabbing her wrist from behind.

"I thought the plan was to not get killed?" Ishida asked, voice cold. She turned back to him, wanting to say something, anything, even if she wasn't sure what that would be, and ended up being nearly blinded by his bow. He looked at it in shock, too, jerking it away from himself quickly, but not letting go.

It was still glowing as before, but this time it was a brilliant white. Even from here, she could feel it humming with power as it shined the color of the moon. She looked down to see his hand over hers, just barely touching the hilt of the katana. He let go, and the light quickly faded.

"I think I have an idea," he said. Keeping his eyes on the Hollow, he begun moving through the debris of the trees and brush, on the lookout for a perfect vantage point. He continued, "You will send as much of your power into me as you can. With that, I might be able to fire an arrow strong enough to send the Hollow back." He finished, standing firmly in a wider clearing, taking two steps back. He found his shot.

"'Might?'" Rukia asked, readjusting her grip on her katana. He didn't sound too sure.

"Will," he corrected, "as long as I'm touching your Zanpakuto."

Rukia looked at him for a second, confusion in her eyes. Ishida rolled his.

"We don't have time for this," he grumbled. "I mean your katana!"

He didn't wait for her response after that. He instead put his back to her and kneeled on the ground in front of her. He readied his bow, drew it, and waited. Rukia's eyes darted up to the giant Hollow. It had nearly freed itself from the portal.

With a gulp, she brought her sword, Zanpakuto, if Ishida were to be believed, up to his shoulder, laying the blunt edge onto it. It was uncomfortable, how close the sharp edge was to his face, but he didn't seem to mind. He was too focused on his bow and arrow, and the new power flowing through it. He aimed.

"Now," he said, keeping stock still, "channel as much of your power into me as you can." Rukia looked at him.

"I don't know how to do that," she admitted. Even from behind, she could see his jaw clench.

"What _did_ Shiba teach you?" he asked, bite in his voice now. The Hollow had taken one foot out of the portal. It was starting to step down, and who knew what would happen when it did. It was now or never, and there was no time to learn, no time to try. She had to _do_.

Gripping the hilt of her…Zanpakuto, she tried to concentrate on something that she never had before. She wasn't sure what she was looking for exactly, but in her mind, she imagined ribbons, dozens of them in the air, and she grabbed every single one. She went bunches at a time, tying them in knots and wrapping them around her blade rapidly.

With each bunch, the bow became brighter, larger. It was thrumming with power, and just before it became too bright to stand, Ishida released the arrow.

It hummed through the air, tearing through like a lightening bolt, and it hit the Hollow dead on. It went stumbling back, a large crack appearing in its mask, but the crack didn't widen.

For a moment, Rukia thought that they failed. It was the best they could do, and it still wasn't enough. It ended up being enough for this Hollow, however.

It was hypnotic in the way it stepped back, pulling open the tear behind it, the very fabric of space being manipulated in front of her. It glided back and pulled the sky over itself again as if announcing the ending to a masterful performance.

It was gone.

Rukia let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, sheathing her sword and almost falling to the ground. That…that had taken a lot out of her.

Beside her, Ishida made a move to stand up, but his legs wouldn't quite hold. He ended up stumbling and almost falling flat on his face. He probably would have if Rukia hadn't moved to grab his arm when she did. She had to thank the powers that be that he was so light.

"Easy there," she said, helping him up slowly. She noted in the back of her mind that he was oddly cold.

"That was…" he gasped, "more power than I expected." If possible, he looked even worse than before. He seemed dazed, almost like he was running a fever. He was even shivering.

Paku stepped forward then, nodding in agreement, though her eyes stayed firmly on the sky. Her fear seemed to have gone with the Hollow, and now she seemed shocked, if anything. It was the person that came next, however, that put a smile on Rukia's face.

Not far behind her, Ichigo came running in, looking much better than when Rukia last saw him. He looked perfectly fine, in fact, which really shouldn't have been possible, but right now, she would take it. A grin was on his face.

"That was a Menos Grande," he led with. "A Menos Grande! I've never seen one regular Shinigami take one out." He shook his head. "Hell, I've never even seen one!"

Ishida, with a sudden burst on energy said, with much annoyance, "Yes, one _Shinigami_ can't take down a Menos Grande. That's why she needed my help."

Rukia rolled her eyes. She was starting to understand Ishida more and more.

"Thank you for that, Ishida," she said with an amused smile, and she meant it.

He froze for a moment after that, not quite meeting her in the eye. Eventually, he quietly said, "You're welcome, Orikasa."

Finally, a little late to the party, Renji jogged in, looking worse for wear, but probably better than most of them. He raised an eyebrow noticing _Uryuu Ishida_ or all people being involved in this, and Rukia silently promised to tell him this whole wild story later.

"There are still some Hollows out there," Renji said, pointing behind him. "We aren't done yet."

With a weary grin, Rukia pulled out her Zanpakuto again. Her eyes darted briefly toward Ishida, swaying slightly on his feet. Ichigo gave her a subtle nod.

"Then, what are we waiting for?" She headed off for the next battle, Paku right behind.

Ichigo studied the Quincy before him.

Quincy…He hadn't even heard that word since he was in the Academy, and here one was, still fighting.

Uryuu Ishida was standing there with torn finger tips and shaking hands, looking at Ichigo wearily. Ichigo looked back flatly.

"You don't look too good, four eyes," he observed. "Stay put. We've got this handled."

The Quincy seemed to look down at himself at that, staring for a moment before finally sitting down on a knocked over tree stump. His head hung low, and his eyes didn't meet Ichigo's again after that.

It wasn't as if Ichigo was going to drag conversation out of the boy. He had other things to worry about. This was why Ichigo was surprised when Ishida stopped him.

"You remember when it happened, don't you?" Ishida asked. "The Massacre?"

Ichigo paused, staying silent for a minute before finally choosing his words.

"I was young," the Shinigami said. "I remember it, but barely…For what it's worth, I'm sorry, but that still didn't give you the right to do what you did today. Rukia had nothing to do with that."

Ishida didn't answer. He just sat there, head still down, and eventually, Ichigo ran off to join the others.

When the final Hollow was destroyed, and peace was restored, they went back for Ishida, but he had already left.

Part IV

The next day, the class rankings for the Midterm exams came out around lunchtime. Rukia had forgotten entirely.

Something about the strange combination of the chaos of yesterday and the absolute normalcy of today was just jarring to Rukia. Yesterday she was fighting a giant. Today, she sits in class.

Renji was to her left, Ichigo a few seats to her right, and Ishida, he was in the back ignoring the world das always, as usual. Keigo flailed, Chizuru flirted, Ishida got the Number One spot, and absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary.

She almost forgot to be happy about getting the Number Three spot.

Almost.

"You sure look happy with yourself," Renji said with a smirk.

"Do I?" Rukia asked, still thinking back to the posting. "How did you do, anyway?"

"Passed," he said, seeming happy about it.

"Good for you," she praised, grabbing for her lunch box. "Are we eating outside today?"

Renji nodded, saying, "I think some of the others were headed there. Besides, its nice out." An eye on the window, Rukia couldn't help but agree. The sun was shining and there was barely a cloud in the sky. Summer weather was well on its way, and she couldn't wait to get out and enjoy it and put the last few days behind her.

Just as she was about to walk out the door, Ishida caught her eye. He was still sitting there, alone. His hands were wrapped in bandages and clutched tightly around his store-bought lunch. She pursed her lips.

"Ishida!" she called. "It's nice out. Why don't you come eat with us?" He looked up at her, seeming a bit startled at first. He reached up and adjusted his glasses.

"If you insist, Orikasa." She really wasn't "insisting" but if that was what he had to tell himself…

He followed them quietly out into the hall as they walked out and towards the shadiest tree in the yard.

Just as the tree came in sight he said quietly, "I was hoping I could speak with you in private." She glanced over at Renji who just shrugged.

"Sure, Ishida," she said waving off Renji who went ahead to their spot.

The two stood there under the shade of the school's awning, Ishida remaining tense for a long while.

"My earlier behavior was unbecoming, Miss Orikasa," he started. It took Rukia a minute to even figure out what he was saying.

"Are you apologizing?" she asked. He stayed silent, not elaborating, and she studied him. She frowned. "Why did you do it?"

The story she got ended up being…a lot. He explained everything to her, what the Shinigami had done to the Quincy as well as their supposed reasons for it, reasons that he would never accept. His words were clipped, cold, and they held ever little bit of his anger in them.

"I'm the last one," he finished with. "The last Quincy."

She leaned against the wall, still absorbing it all.

"I'm very sorry," she eventually said. "Even if I don't agree with it, I understand a little more why you did what you did." Her expression then hardened. "If you ever do something like that again, though, I will hunt you down."

He choked down a laugh, but not in disbelief. He fully believed her. (He'd better.)

"I'd expect no less."

Her vision of Ishida was blocked then by a cellphone dangling in her face.

"We've got two Hollows somewhere on Block 9," Ichigo drawled. "Come on, let's go." Renji was already behind him, ready.

"I'll be right there," Rukia sighed out. She didn't even get to have any lunch! "I just have to grab Paku from the classroom.

Barely a minute later, she was back and in her Shinigami form. Her and Renji hurried quickly to the gate together, minds already elsewhere, but Ichigo stayed behind for a moment, glancing back at Ishida who seemed to be trying very hard to not look anywhere at all.

"Hey, Uryuu," Ichigo said. Ishida looked up, a little offended that his first name was used so casually. "We might need some backup. You should come, too."

"I am not 'backup,'" he said with a sneer. That didn't stop him from bringing a hand to the Quincy bracelet on his wrist, Ichigo noticed with a smirk. The kid followed him out of the gate like a lost puppy, and for a second, Ichigo's smirk fell

 _Since when did Hollow hunting become a goddamn club activity?_ Frown deepening, he thought, _And what am I, the manager?_

Ichigo groaned at the prospect. Great, somehow, he had been roped into looking after this little club of moody, idiotic, self-sacrificial children. Somehow, he had become "friends" with them.

Somehow, he didn't really mind.

Part V

 _Yesterday_

Naomi Oshiro was having a very bad time. This was her very first time being stationed in the World of the Living, and for the first week, it had gone alright. Sure, there were a few bumps in the road, but it wasn't anything that her training didn't prepare her for.

This changed today when Hollow after Hollow started attacking this strange little town she was sent to. She had heard rumors about Karakura Town being a little more active than most, but this was just ridiculous! She had taken down at least five Hollows in the last hour hour and her hands haven't left her Zanpakuto since she started.

She was originally sent here in place of Lieutenant Shiba who had gone missing some time ago, but now, she was suspecting that she might die here with him.

No, she couldn't be thinking like that. She didn't believe he died here, not really, not someone like him, and she wasn't going to either. She ran on ahead into the fight, hoping that she remembered that incantation properly. She was alone here.

That was why she was shocked when she saw another Shinigami start to take care of the situation. If one thing had been made clear to her, it was that this was a solo mission.

 _Maybe backup finally came?_

No, she would have been notified if that were the case. Besides, this Shinigami, she didn't seem to be a part of any squad that Naomi knew.

She watched as this mystery Shinigami (who upon closer inspection seemed more human than Shinigami) and an equally strange boy with an arrow slowly took care of each and every last Hollow there. She was completely shocked when that number included a Menos Grande at the end.

There was just no way someone with so much power could go under the radar at the Soul Society. This girl was definitely a human, no ifs ands or buts.

When Lieutenant Shiba came to the scene in a Gigai, it suddenly all made sense in a horrible, horrible way.

 _Just wait until the Head Captain hears about this._

* * *

 **The next chapter (an Interlude!) will probably be very short. There will be some plot related stuff, but not much. This is (in part) due to how when the regular chapters come back, some rather _serious developments_ will be happening.**

 **Be prepared! (Also, leave a review! I love them!)**


	10. X: Interlude 2

**Can y'all believe this fic reached over 1,000 views this week because I sure can't! I wish I had some kind of special ready for this, but all I have is this short little interlude and the promise that things are about to get real.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

Paku had always thought of herself as a simple girl with simple needs. She believed that it was the little things in life that really mattered, that really brought joy.

Too bad she couldn't have most of those things because Rukia was a giant bitch.

"Sit still," the human bit out. She was furiously scrubbing at the doll, a firm hold on her head as she half submerged her in water.

"I'm sitting as still as I can!" Paku yelled, squirming in the basin. She didn't even know what all this cleaning was for! Yeah, she had gone out to get a bit of fresh air yesterday. So, what? A little dirt never killed anybody.

She gurgled under the water that was poured over her. Rukia probably didn't even know how _uncomfortable_ it was to get your cotton stuffing soaked. She furiously shook herself, trying to get the water out of her fluffy ears. Rukia flinched back. With a deep scowl, the human swiped the water off her face.

"You know, I could just chuck you in the washing machine and be done with it," she grumbled.

Paku narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me," Rukia challenged, sitting back on her heels, arms crossed. She looked down her nose at Paku. "You have to get clean one way or another, and there's no way I'm letting my limited edition Chappy Doll get slowly destroyed because you like stomping through mud puddles."

The Mod Soul's eyes narrowed further, looking for any signs of bluffing, any possible tell. Rukia's eyes narrowed in return.

 _Oh shit, she's serious._

"You're so cruel!" Paku cried. With a self-satisfied smirk, Rukia got back to scrubbing. All Paku could do was whine…

"You're getting soap into my eyes!"

and whine…

"This stuff smells weird."

and whine…

"Are you seriously using bleach?!"

Eventually, Rukia had to get out her little stereo and put the first album she could find on blast near the door, just to keep Paku's protests from being heard. This, of course, didn't deter the Mod Soul at all. If anything, it spurred her on. She kept on crying and muttering about every little thing, even when Rukia brought out the hair dryer and drowned her out completely.

She only stopped when she was angrily thrown onto Rukia's bed. Rukia was muttering things about haunted dolls selling for a lot these days, back turned towards her closet.

Paku grumbled wordlessly, straightening out one of her fuzzy ears. She just received the harshest cleaning of her life, and Rukia didn't even have the decency to apologize! She was just rummaging around her closet looking for…new clothes it looked like.

Rukia turned back to Paku with a fresh dress on. She straightened it out, brushing it down with her hands, looking quite annoyed. Before Paku even had the time to comment, she grabbed a simple shoulder bag and a pair of slippers.

"I'm going out today," she announced.

"Ohhhh! Can I come?" Paku asked, scrambling to the edge of the bed.

"No," she said back. Paku's face fell. She continued, nonplussed, "I'm not going to fight a Hollow. I'm seeing a movie with some friends." Then, her eyes narrowed to suspicious slits. She pointed a finger at Paku, saying, "You, on the other hand will stay put while I'm gone."

"What! How's that fair?" Paku asked. "You go out and have fun, and I just stay here?"

Rukia glanced back at the dress she wore while bathing Paku. It was a frumpy thing that was only worn in the house. It was a soft orange color and look old as hell. Rukia would have called it well loved, but according to Paku, Rukia was dead wrong. The orange fabric now had dark spots where soapy water seeped in, and light spots where the bleach had gotten it.

"Tough," the human said, right before slamming the door behind her. Paku pouted.

With a sigh, the Mod Soul scooted back to the middle of the bed, leaning against the pillows at the head.

"'Tough!'" she mocked in a high-pitched voice. "'You stay put while I'm gone!' What a sourpuss…"

Paku thought she'd been pretty good, lately. She helped with the Hollow invasion brought on by that nerd of a Quincy, she didn't talk when she was stuck up in the backpack (for the most part), and she usually stayed in the room when she was told. She really couldn't believe that this was how Rukia would repay her for all her efforts.

If there was ever a day to be a little "disobedient" it was today.

Looking around Rukia's room, her mind began to turn. She hopped back down onto the carpet with a soft _squeak_ as she thought of the best way to stage this little prison break. She snuck as quietly as possible to the door, and craning her neck, she looked up at the doorknob.

 _My first obstacle!_

It was high, at least three times her height, not including her ears, and the door was completely closed.

She smirked. As if the girl that could leap tall buildings in a single bound would find a _doorknob_ difficult.

Paku ran quickly to the bed, stepping back until her ears brushed the frame. She eyed the door, lined herself up properly, and ran for it, jumping up. Rushing through the air, she hit the door with an "oof!", grabbing onto the handle with two freshly clean paws. (Well, they were almost paws.)

 _Okay, now what…_

The handle barely moved when she grabbed it, only tilting down a tad. She'd have to put a bit more oomph into it! She swung herself down using as much momentum as possible, probably looking a little ridiculous just swinging on a doorknob. It all paid off when it finally opened.

 _Click!_

She hopped down feeling almost giddy, padding quickly down the hallway. She used her whole body to climb (and boy was it a climb) down the stairs. Reaching the bottom, she saw Byakuya Orikasa, back turned as he read a book, lounging on the living room couch.

 _My second obstacle!_

Really, it was both her second and third. There was the obstacle of not getting caught by Rukia's rather vigilant brother, and there was the obstacle of not getting herself distracted.

 _He was just so hot!_

Byakuya Orikasa was about as pretty as a guy could get. He had this brooding expression, these fine delicate features, and long black hair that just looked so soft! He was wearing it up in a ponytail at the moment, one that Paku wished she saw much more often.

He was a gorgeous prince and a serious loner all at once… What else could a girl ask for?

 _And those dark eyes!_

Paku would have blinked it she could. Those dark eyes were staring at her right now. She stiffened up, staying stock still as Byakuya approached her.

 _Oh no._

"What on Earth are you doing out here?" he asked, picking her up gently. She didn't dare move a muscle. "Rukia should know better than to just leave you lying around," he said, more to himself than anything. Her in hand, he started walking back up the stairs.

 _No, no, no, no!_

He put her right back onto the bed and closed the door behind him.

"I was so close!" she cried out, burying her head in her paws. Then again… Byakuya did hold her. Perhaps it was a fair trade. With a sniffle, she dragged her eyes back onto the room. There had to be another way!

The very first thing that caught her eye was the window, right by the bed. It was the same one that Rukia would open up whenever it got too hot in the room, and Paku knew for a fact that there were some shrubs right underneath it, perfect to soften a fall.

With a quiet grunt, she heaved the window open and stepped out onto the ledge. She took one quick look down, saw a decent place to aim for, and took the dive. As she got closer, her eyes widened.

 _Rose bushes! Why did they have to be rose bushes?!_

Paku walked away from the house with several thorns stuck in her behind and prickly leaves stuck to her stomach. Such was the price of freedom.

Taking in that sweet late spring air, Paku couldn't help but think that it had been _forever_ since she'd been out. (Yesterday didn't count. She got caught a few hours in.) She just knew that she would have to make it count!

With a squeal of excitement, she began sprinting away on the pavement, going much faster than any stuffed animal had any right to.

That being said, she was still going painfully slow by her own standards.

"What gives?" Paku muttered to herself, pushing her tiny body harder. She could go at least three times faster than this, and that was on a bad day. She was running like _Rukia_.

With a pout, Paku realized that, maybe, this body couldn't quite keep up. Yet another reason why it was just the worst! She pressed forward, frown deep on her face, ignoring the gob smacked child she ran past.  
She ran with no particular plan in mind, but her feet ended up taking her to Rukia's school, currently abandoned. It was Sunday, so there wasn't much going on, but she was sure she had caught some kind of posting about activity here today… She took a sharp left turn from the front door and ran toward the soccer field.

 _Bingo!_

Reaching the edge of the field, Paku darted behind the bleachers. Through the seats, she saw them, the soccer team boys. They were in the middle of practice, doing some basic drills. Sweat beaded down their foreheads and stuck onto their hair as their muscles glistened in the sunlight… There was just something about a physically fit man that did it for her!

She knew she needed a closer look.

She crawled forward, dragging herself through a gap in the seats and stepping quietly over them until she reached the edge of the field. The captain of the team must have noticed her in that moment, because his eyes darted right over.

In a panic, she hid behind the nearest thing she could find, a soccer ball, gripping its sides to keep it stationary. The captain's eyes lingered for a moment, but not any longer.

With a sigh of relief, she peeked over the top of the ball, and it felt as if all her dreams had come true!

This was easily the closest she'd ever gotten to her precious Soccer Boys. Her eyes practically sparkled as she saw them go through the motions of their practice. She almost melted when a shirts and skins practice game was announced.

She got considerably less excited when the ball they grabbed for the game was the one she was hiding behind. The captain didn't even pick it up, he just started kicking it!

She was immediately sent through the air, clinging onto the ball for dear life as she started screaming her tiny stuffed head off.

The ball was kicked again, and again, and again! She was sure she'd start throwing up stuffing any moment now… Then, just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped.

The ball was halted right underneath a player's foot, she was wedged between it and the grass-covered ground, both ears and a single eye exposed. The player looked down at her, a confused eyebrow raised.

"Hey, Sato, pass the ball over here!" another player called.

"Uhh, sure," her savior said, "in a second. I think some doll got stuck on it." He kicked the ball up into his waiting hands, quickly peeling her off the synthetic leather. He held her at arms distance, looking a little disgusted.

"Just go throw it away, or something," the other player said. Was she really that filthy?!

A few minutes later, Paku found herself in a dumpster behind school grounds. Well, now she was.

She started sniffling, trying to find purchase on the garbage. God, she'd never been so low! She hefted herself over the side, certain that she'd never want to leave Rukia's room again.

It was then that she noticed the stuffing coming out of her leg. As if things couldn't get any worse! She couldn't get back home on that.

She resigned herself, then, limping as far away as she could from the trash can, and just sitting herself out in front of the school gate.

She smelled, she had thorns stuck in her, she was covered in grass and dirt, and now she had stuffing coming out of her. All that adventuring, and all she could do was wait for someone to find her. Maybe Rukia's movie was out by now?

Probably not.

So focused on her own misery, Paku almost missed the black alley cat looking at her very intently. Its green eyes shone, and its tail flicked back and forth. Paku was having none of it.

"Back off you mangy cat!" she yelled at it, swiping her arm out. It reacted immediately, but not the way she wanted. It lunged at her, grabbing her by her extended arm and began dragging her off with a spring in its step. It must have thought she was some filthy dumpster rat!

"Fine, then!" she yelled, having finally snapped. "Carry me off. Just wait until I get back into a proper body!" The cat, very obviously, wasn't listening. Someone else, however, was.

"What on Earth?" she heard someone mumble from the sidewalk. "Did that stuffed animal…" She struggled to see who was talking, and it was, of course, the nerdy Quincy. He was far from the handsome prince she'd prefer to have rescue her. He might even be a step under Rukia.

Without much effort, he shooed the cat away, quickly grabbing an abandoned Paku carefully with a wrapped hand. He was still the only hero she was going to get.

"What are you doing out here, Mod Soul?" he asked, inspecting her body, and shifting all his groceries to one (unwrapped) hand.

"It's a long story…" she said depressingly. He didn't say anything in return. He just gave an exasperated sigh and simply tucked her to his side.

He brought her to his apartment, which ended up being not far at all, and a few things about it struck Paku immediately.

It was rather small, and most notably, empty. It was tidy and utilitarian, very few personal items lying around aside from a couple of books, stacked neatly. He dropped his groceries on a pristine countertop, setting Paku down right next to them. He frowned.

"It would probably be bad form to send you to Orikasa like _this_." He may not have come out and said it, but the message was clear. She was filthy, and she was getting another bath.

She'd say this day couldn't get any worse, but she was pretty sure the universe was taking that statement as a dare, now.

The Quincy ended up dropping her in the sink, and after grabbing a few supplies (a washrag, some tweezers, latex gloves, and a decent amount of soap and detergent) he set to work.

It actually…wasn't bad.

He was gentle but thorough, working through the cotton quickly, digging out thorns and detritus without much trouble. He ended up letting her air dry as he put away the rest of the groceries, and when he finally deemed her dry enough, he broke out the sewing kit. Paku's eyes bugged out.

"There's no way you're bringing a needle anywhere near me!" she cried. He ignored her and started threading a needle.

"You're spilling cotton everywhere," he said matter-of-factly. He took a firm hold of her leg before she could say another word and got to work.

Okay, maybe it didn't hurt at all, actually, but it was the principle of the thing! She didn't like getting stuck with things when she didn't need to be. At least it was over quickly.

She was as clean as a whistle when he tucked her back under his arm and headed out the door again. She had a good feeling she knew where he was taking her, and surely enough, minutes later they were standing right in front of Rukia's house. He knocked, and of course, Rukia was the one to answer.

"Hey, Ishida, what are you doing…" Her eyes darted down to Paku. Paku shyly waved at her, and Rukia's eyes narrowed. Eventually, her expression softened into one of exasperation, and with a sigh she said, "I was just about to go looking for her. Thank you." She bowed slightly.

"It was no problem, Orikasa." He held out Paku, not looking Rukia in the eye, and the human took Paku, tightly gripping her in both hands. The Quincy adjusted his glasses, obscuring his eyes from view before saying, "I…still have a few errands to run. I will see you at school tomorrow, Orikasa."

Paku snorted. Gods, could he be more awkward?

"See you later, Ishida," Rukia said with a slightly strained smile. He turned, she closed the door, and her smile fell.

She opened with, "Where the hell were you?"

The Mod Soul, pretty tired of getting manhandled, wiggled herself out of Rukia's hands and landed softly on the floor.

"Oh, you know…Out and about," Paku answered casually.

"'Out and about?' Yeah, right." Rukia rolled her eyes.

Paku would have stuck her tongue out at Rukia if she could. How could one person be so boring?

Really, where would Rukia even be without her?

* * *

 **Perhaps not my favorite, but I had a good time. I would have given you all a longer one, but this week is Anime NYC (which will already be underway by the time this is posted!) If any of you happen to be going, I hope you all have a wonderful time, and if not, have a wonderful Thanksgiving (or just a wonderful week if you're not from the US.)**

 **Your reviews give me life.**


	11. XI

**Here it is, just as promised. I use some pieced together Japanese for something that is a spoiler in this chapter. By the time you finish you should understand, but if anyone in my audience happens to know a bit of Japanese and finds an error in anything here or in anything I use in the future, I would love to talk with you and fix it. Message me any time.**

 **Please Enjoy!**

* * *

Part I

Rukia's fingers thrummed against the surface of her desk as she eyed her bag. She could hear Renji's foot tap, tap, tapping beside her, could see Chizuru impatiently fiddle with her pencil, and could feel Keigo practically buzzing in his seat. Even the teacher wasn't exempt from this anticipation, as he was alternating between thumbing through paperwork and glancing at the clock.

It was mere minutes before Summer Break began, and the wait was agony.

Glancing through her summer assignments, Rukia's mind drifted through all the things she'd do over the break. She was sure her friends had some plans and that she'd end up going along for more than a few. There was also that book series she'd been meaning to get through for a while, but in all honesty, Hollow hunting would probably take priority.

She wondered how long she'd be doing this "Substitute Shinigami" thing. She had kind of assumed these powers were temporary, but for as long as she'd had them, they showed no signs of fading. A part of her found the prospect of keeping these amazing powers exciting, but another part of her felt guilty.

As her powers continued to grow and develop, Ichigo remained powerless. Though he would never say as much, his situation had barely improved, and that worried her.

Rukia's thoughts were interrupted by a soft buzzing sound, the vibration of a cellphone. It took her a second to realize that it was Ichigo's, ringing quietly in his pocket.

The tapping of her fingers increased in speed as she waited for him to jump up, start making an excuse about his aunt and for her, Renji, and Ishida to follow quickly behind.

He did none of those things.

Ichigo was staring off into space, a blank look on his face as he leaned back in his desk, caught up in god knows what. For a second, she thought he was just bored, and had spaced out for a moment. This last day of school had been rather boring, after all, but something in the slight clench of his hands and the tension in his jaw told Rukia that there was something else going on here. She just didn't know what.

Glancing back at his still buzzing pocket, though, she figured that realization would have to wait. She needed to snap him out of this, first.

Rukia reached for the green pill in her breast pocket, quietly popping it into her mouth, hoping that everyone who happened to see would just assume it was some kind of mint. Her body slumped over briefly as she stood up beside her desk. Paku raised her head quickly, eyes darting toward Rukia who simply held a finger up to her lips. No need to raise suspicion too quickly.

She turned to Ichigo and tapped him on the shoulder and within seconds he was upright. His eyes went to her, and then to his pocket, and they widened in realization. He raised his hand.

"Mr. Akibara, I have to go!" he called. The teacher looked up from his work.

He sighed, "Who is it this time, your Uncle or your Aunt?" Ichigo dug his phone out of his pocket, raising it up to the teacher.

"Uncle," he said with a sheepish smile. The teacher's frown deepened.  
"Well, I suppose you can go a little early," Mr. Akibara said, though he didn't look too happy about it. Ichigo wasted absolutely no time in getting up and almost sprinting out the door, Rukia silently chasing after him

"I should go, too!" Renji said, raising his own hand. The teacher looked at him critically, and lowering his hand, he said quieter, "I mean, since we're friends and all." He was smart enough not to wait for an answer, and gathered his bag, coming right behind them.

Rukia didn't quite catch Ishida's excuse, something about Ichigo's Uncle being in his father's hospital right before he calmly walked after them. Judging by the slight smirk on his face, the teacher's reaction wasn't great. By the time they reached the shoe lockers Ichigo's brain was back to functioning properly, and he was checking the coordinates on the Hollow Tracker. She leaned over to get a decent look of her own.

"There's…" She squinted at the display. "Are there two of them?"

"Yeah," Ichigo confirmed. "They're in the Warehouse district."

"Seriously?" Renji groaned. "That far?"

"Do you think you'll have trouble keeping pace, Abarai?" Ishida asked, a challenging tinge to his voice.

Renji replied with a smirk, "You wish. I could outrun you any day, four-eyes."

"Focus," Ichigo growled. The two shut up immediately, but Rukia could tell from the looks in their eyes that this was _far_ from settled. Ichigo continued, "We could be facing two feuding Hollows. We need to be ready for anything."

It was during the incident with Ishida's Hollow-bait that Rukia found out Hollows were incredibly territorial, something that could normally only be observed in Hueco Mundo, where the population density was greater. Under the right circumstances, though… Incidents like this tended to happen in the World of the Living, too.

Ichigo glanced down at his phone one more time before snapping it closed and saying, "Follow me."

The group ran ahead, taking a sharp left, going as quickly as they could to their destination. Normally, Ichigo would lead the charge, eyes going to the coordinates every so often to give directions to the others, but today, Ishida and Renji ran ahead, locked neck and neck in a race, pushing each other ahead. Rukia nearly rolled her eyes at the display. She could hear Ichigo mutter to himself about "troublesome human boys" beside her.

A few minutes in and the two "troublesome human boys" started taunting each other.

"You gettin' tired already, Ishida?" Renji asked with a grin.

"If anything, I'm holding back," he said back flatly, but a certain glint in his eyes gave him away.

"Oh, are you now?"

The two pushed on faster ahead in that moment, their destination almost in sight. Just as they were about to enter the property, however and declare a winner, a cloud of dust was kicked up by a sudden wind blasting through the road.

The cause of this wind stood in front of the warehouse doors with a smug grin.

"I win!" Paku cheered. The two boys groaned.

"That's not exactly fair," grumbled Ishida.

"You weren't even in the race!" complained Renji.

Paku put her hands on her hips. "Well, I–"

"Shhh!" Ichigo held up a hand, causing them all to silence. His eyes were firmly on the warehouse doors. There was something wrong, very wrong.

"Why is it so quiet?" Paku asked in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, aren't there two Hollows in there?" asked Renji.

Ichigo dug his phone out of his pocket, flipping it open just to double check. In the meantime, Rukia did her own investigating, closing her eyes to try and parse whatever presences were behind that door. She opened her eyes.

"There are definitely two in there," she said with a frown.

With a nod Ishida added, "I can feel them, too. They're oddly calm." Ichigo shut his phone again.

"I don't like this," the Shinigami said. "We need to proceed with caution, go in quietly."

"We can take the roof," Rukia suggested. "Me and Ichigo could go in from the northern entrance. You three can take the southern one." Ichigo nodded in agreement.

"Works for me," Renji said.

They split up after that, heading to their assigned stations. Rukia leaped up to a ledge on the northern side where a window was open at the very top of the building. She peered inside.

 _"_ _Another day, another satisfying meal, eh?"_ one of the Hollows jeered. It had large clawed hands with pincers on its jaw. It had a huge tail as thick as its waist and as long as its body that ended in a wicked looking stinger. It was crouched over the terrified Spirit of a middle-aged man. Even from here, Rukia could tell he was trembling.

 _"_ _Pfft, all you ever think about is eating,"_ the other one teased. This one had a more human shape, though it was unnaturally large and as muscular as an ox. It crossed its beefy arms the size of pillars. _"Playing with your food first is much more fun."_ It grinned down at the Spirit at that, the man stumbling back a few steps until he hit a brick wall.

Rukia almost stepped back in her shock. These Hollows weren't fighting each other, at all. If anything, it looked like they were working together. Intelligent Hollows were rare enough, but this… She turned to Ichigo and saw that he looked just as confused as she was.

"What do we do now?" Rukia whispered. Ichigo's scowl deepened.

"Nothing changes," he said. "We defeat the Hollows and protect that Spirit. It's as simple as that."

With a nod, Rukia took a deep breath. Widening the opening of window, careful not to fall off the ledge entirely, she reached for her Zanpakuto. She stepped onto the windowsill and watched as Ishida climbed out the window on the other side onto a railed path, Paku and Renji right behind. They gave each other affirmative nods and stepped down.

Just as Rukia's foot landed on the concrete, one of the Hollows, Pincers, suddenly froze, nose up in the air. Rukia halted to a stop and took a steadying breath.

 _"_ _Someone's here,"_ Pincers said.

 _"_ _What?!"_ asked Muscles incredulously. _"You said this place was empty!"_

On the other side of the building, Ishida was drawing his bow, an arrow ready. He waited.

 _"_ _It was!"_ insisted Pincers, eyes still in the air. Rukia stepped back, pressing against the wall and out of sight.

 _"_ _Well, who is it?"_ Muscles asked angrily. Pincers let out his own angry chirrup.

 _"_ _I'm not sure. I don't recognize all of these smells, but…"_ Its eyes widened. _"It's a Shinigami!"_

Ishida let loose his arrow at that moment, and Rukia leaped forward off the railed path.

Muscles fell to the side, diving out of the way of Ishida's arrow. Its eyes darted up to the source of the attack, and met Ishida, blancing gracefully on the railing. With an angry yell, it slammed its fist against the wall. The entire building shook.

They hit the ground one after another then, boxing in the Hollows. The fight had begun.

"Paku!" Rukia called. "Get that Spirit out of here!"

"On it!" Paku ran ahead as quickly as she could, barreling into the Spirit, and throwing him over her shoulder before darting out of the door, leaving only upturned dust behind. With that, Rukia faced her opponent.

Pincers wasted no time aiming its tail right at her, crouching to the ground and striking, fast as lightning. She rolled out of the way, a Kidō spell courtesy of Ichigo going right over her head. It hit the Hollow in the chest, pushing it back. It let out an angry growl.

She kept the fight on the other end of the arena in the corner of her eye, watching as Renji grappled with Muscles and Ishida stayed to the side, trying to get the perfect finishing shot in. Her own cat and mouse game with Pincers quickly required her full attention, however.

In between its claws, the nasty pincers on its mouth, and the dangerous prehensile tail, she had her hands full. It would aim at her, and hit with deadly force, her barely having time to dodge, while simultaneously trying to get in her own swipes. It would have hit her several times over by now if Ichigo wasn't there aiming Kidō spells to keep it at bay.

That being said, the spells he was using weren't as effective as usual. As another hit the Hollow's armored stomach, the creature was pushed back by the heavy impact, but it recovered immediately, swiping at Rukia with open claws. The spell didn't even leave a dent. Either this Hollow's armor was thicker than most, or Ichigo was off his game.

As another ineffective spell impacted, quickly brushed off by a smugly grinning Hollow, Rukia thought it just might be both. Still, weak as the spells may be, they're still saving her ass, here. She glanced back at him.

He was pale, staring at his hands in dismay, the next spell caught up in his throat.

 _Oh no._

Pincers seemed to notice as well, as he tried to sidestep Rukia, swinging around to stab his tail right at Ichigo. She had barely a second to put herself in the way, using her large Zanpakuto to block the stinger.

"Ichigo!" she yelled. Pincers took that moment to lean in harder, pushing with enough force to make Rukia skid back in the dusty concrete. Still, she kept her defense strong. She called again with more desperation, "Ichigo!" The Hollow let out a low chuckle.

This seemed to be enough to snap the Shiba out of it. Within seconds he had completed his spell, and fired, aiming right for the Hollow's eyes. It landed with a harsh _BANG!_

Immediately, Pincers reeled back, screeching. It flailed wildly, claws, tail and other sharp bits reaching for whatever it could grab. Rukia was forced back by the struggling, the tail almost swiping her in the stomach.

Ichigo…he was frozen again. His eyes looked panicked, but it was as if his feet were rooted to the ground.

The Hollow's wild strikes continued as it started hitting the ground in front of it, advancing toward Ichigo. Rukia saw one of the claws aim right toward Ichigo's chest and her heart just about stopped. Time slowed down.

She ran forward, legs carrying her before she even knew what she was doing. Her Zanpakuto was already in front of her and she was leaping in before the Hollow. She got ready to slice its mask, but in the back of her mind, she knew she wouldn't make it in time.

Her sword connected, slicing it clean through. Pincers dissolved in seconds. After that: silence.

She didn't wait to sheath her Zanpakuto. She just ran through the already disappearing remains of Pincers, vaguely noticing that Muscles was already gone. All she was concerned about was Ichigo. She reached him in seconds.

He was on the ground and getting up slowly. He looked scuffed up, but otherwise…fine. What immediately caught her eye after that was Renji, crouched over Ichigo, and trying to get up, but struggling. He had a gash spanning his shoulder blade. Blood was quickly staining the shirt fabric around it. With a barely controlled gasp, she ran to his side, and started easing him to a sitting position. Renji groaned.

"Idiot wasn't moving," Renji grumbled, one eye cracked open, "so I moved him." His voice was tight, but he was smiling, the liar.

"Shit," Ichigo hissed out, eyes wide. He looked panicked, like he only now truly noticed it. He stammered out, "I-I know a bit of healing."

He got up fully, kneeling by Renji placing another steadying hand on the human, finally seeing the full damage, he cursed under his breath. His hands were shaking, but when he whispered out a spell, they glowed with a soothing orange light. He placed his palm on the wound, and immediately, Renji started to relax in Rukia's grip.

They sat there together for a couple of minutes. No one moved until the orange light flickered and finally went out. When Ichigo moved his hand away, the wound was much smaller. The bleeding had stopped, and Renji was already looking better. When he smiled, it wasn't nearly as strained. Still, the wound wasn't gone, not by a longshot.

"I have a first aid kit at home," Ishida said from the side. "I should be able to take over from here."

Renji scoffed, "I'll be fi–"

"Renji you aren't fine!" Rukia interrupted. It was then that she realized that her chest was still heaving. Her eyes were burning, and maybe, she wasn't ready to see something like that. Maybe she'd never be. She took a steadying breath before finally saying, "Just go with Ishida. You can meet up with us when you're better."

Her best friend looked up at her after that, surprise plain on his face. Rukia looked right back, unwavering, and after a beat, he answered.

"Okay," he said calmly. "Maybe I'm not 'fine', but I will be, you know?"

Rukia nodded. He better.

After that, Ishida helped Renji up, slinging an arm over his shoulder. They went out of the building together at a slow pace. Behind her, she heard the back door of the warehouse open, and by the time she turned to look, she saw Ichigo, back turned, disappearing from behind the door before it closed quietly behind him. She almost got up to chase after him, but before she could, Paku walked in through the front, appraising the scuffed-up interior of the place with raised eyebrows.

"Looks like you guys beat those dumb Hollows, already," she said with a whistle. "The Spirit's out front, by the way."

Right, she still had a job to finish. First perform a Konso, then go after Ichigo. She got up, her sheathed Zanpakuto in hand.

"I'll be right there."

Part II

Ichigo…was not okay, it wasn't as if he were hurt, hell, it'd have been better if he _was_ the one hurt, but…

He ran quickly down the dimming streets of Karakura, weaving past any random passerby. He just knew he needed to go away, far away.

Yesterday, he had gotten the news, that the Soul Society knew where he was, what had happened. He knew his days were numbered. They were coming for him, and that was why he needed to go. He needed to make sure no one else was hurt in the process.

 _Except someone already was._

He couldn't get that moment out of his head. His mind was gods knew where for that entire battle (for the entire day, really) but he still remembered that moment far too clearly. The claws came for him, and he just stood there, dumbfounded. Renji came crashing into him, came to save him, and he'd been hurt.

He squeezed his eyes shut against the memory and ran faster. It wasn't a surprise when he tripped on some upturned pavement and ate dirt.

"Shit…" he muttered, opening his eyes again. He dragged himself up to his knees, ignoring his burning arms that he caught himself with. He sat back on his heels, and just stayed there.

Renji was even more of an idiot that Ichigo thought. He should have known it was useless to save someone that was already dead.

"Hey!"

Ichigo's dark thoughts were halted by a voice. He looked up, and his breathing smoothed. It was time.

"Finally stopped running, didn't you?" the same voice asked with a sneer. With that, a figure jumped from the trees above, landing right in front of him. When he saw who it was, however, he was shocked.

"Tatsuki," he breathed out. She scoffed.

"I'm surprised you still know my name. I mean, you went AWOL for a whole two months." He didn't answer her. He just kept his head down. Her eyes narrowed in something akin to disgust. "So, what," she continued. "You're just going to sit there? Say something, coward."

He didn't, even when she reached for her Zanpakuto. A larger hand stopped hers, just as she touched the hilt.

"That's enough, Tatsuki," another voice said. This one had Ichigo's heart skipping a beat.

For this person, he raised his head. He looked this newcomer right in the eye, and the eyes that stared back at him were his father's.

"Sorry, Captain Shiba," Tatsuki said, withdrawing her hand with a bow.

"He's going to come peacefully, anyway," Isshin Shiba said, face unreadable. "Aren't you?"

Ichigo smiled a mirthless painful smile.

"Yeah, I will, goat-face." Even on a good day, he couldn't beat these two together, and now, weakened as he was, he was ready to accept his fate. He would go quickly and quietly.

What took place next would assure that would _never_ happen.

Part III

Rukia ran as fast as she could toward…well, she wasn't really sure. Her goal was Ichigo, but she had lost sight of him a while ago. She was stuck trying to find traces of his weak spiritual pressure, merely hoping that she was headed in the right direction. Maybe she was completely off base, but with this much worry and anxiety fueling her, she doubted it. (It helped that Paku was searching elsewhere, and with her speed, they were bound to find _something_.)

She knew something had been off with Ichigo. She knew she should have said something earlier. She didn't, and now she was going to deal with it, fix it if she could, even if it wasn't the type of problem one person could fix. He had done so much for her, given her these powers, the powers that allowed her to protect those close to her. She could do at least this much for him.

She ended up racing around more streets than she could count in her search, and just as she was about to give up and check in on Paku again, she felt two huge Reiatsu.

 _Shinigami._

She ran forward as quickly as she could, turning the corner. Maybe she should have been a bit more cautious approaching two foreign Shinigami without any plan to speak of, but at that moment she didn't care.

She saw two Shinigami, an older man with a scruffy face in a White Haori and a girl with spiky black hair and a badge strapped to her shoulder, standing over a kneeling and defeated Ichigo, and then she saw red.

"What's going on here?" Rukia asked, stepping into the light. Her hand was on her Zanpakuto, a clear threat.

"Who's asking?" the girl asked with a glare. She put her own hand on her Zanpakuto. With narrowed eyes, she continued, "No one else was supposed to be here. State your Captain and Division, Shinigami."

"Don't have one," Rukia said with a smirk. "I'm here for Ichigo." The Shinigami girl's eyes widened for a moment right before her face broke out into a dangerous grin, more snarl than smile.

"No Captain, huh?" She slid her Zanpakuto out of its sheath. "You're the human, aren't you? The one that Ichigo gave his powers to." Her Zanpakuto was pointed right at Rukia, now. The Substitute took a step back and brandished her own sword.

"Tatsuki, don't!" Ichigo yelled desperately.

"Shut up!" Tatsuki warned. Ichigo almost flinched. "You don't have a say in this fight! This is between me and the human."

Rukia gulped, tightening her grip on her sword, and between one breath and another, Tatsuki attacked. Rukia barely even had time to raise her blade to block.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed back against the Shinigami, sending the other girl a half step back before the Shinigami swung back again with full force, that wicked grin still plain on her face.

Tatsuki was aggressive, that much was obvious. She kept the fight close, made every little move on her own terms, and hit viciously and without mercy.

A few moments into this brutal close-quarters fighting, a heavy stroke from above had Rukia halting her attacks entirely as she dodged left. The blade swiped through, right where her head was, the tip barely grazing her cheek, leaving a shallow gash in its wake. She took another large step back after that, guard fully up as she panted in place. Tatsuki stood in front of her, still grinning, not having even broken a sweat.

"You're not bad, human," she growled out. "You're still standing!" She punctuated her sentence with a vicious downward strike, coming close enough to Rukia that she could almost feel her breath. The human struggled to hold the blow back with her own blade as the other girl kept on pressing down ever harder.

Now, though Rukia didn't know for sure, she had a good feeling that if she tried going against this girl with strength alone, she'd lose based on their size difference alone. Luckily, she also knew that in fights like these, strength was never the end all be all.

Rukia canted her sword at an angle. She felt the exact moment Tatsuki's footing shifted as she tried to make up for the change. Their blades slid against each other, and for a moment Tatsuki fell. That moment was all Rukia needed to lash out with her own wide arching swipe, a swipe that Tatsuki was just fast enough to avoid, well, almost avoid.

The Shinigami stood there, a nasty gash on her bicep.

"You really are something, aren't you?" The annoyance on her face was plain to see, but somewhere in there, Rukia could see something else entirely. It was her eyes. They shone with an intensity that couldn't be missed.

"Ichigo was a good teacher," Rukia said back, brushing the blood off her cheek. Tatsuki's facsimile of a grin turned down into an enraged scowl.

"Don't you dare speak his name!" She rushed forward at that, attacking with full force, as precise as she was angry. Their blades locked together. She continued, "You don't get that! Not when he's getting executed because of you!"

Rukia's heart almost stopped for the second time that day.

"Executed?" she asked quietly. Tatsuki's eyes widened briefly before her expression hardened.

"Yeah, because _you_ stole his powers," she snarled out. Rukia pushed back in that moment, causing Tatsuki stumble with more force than she thought she was capable of.

"So, you're taking him away, then," Rukia panted out, "because of me." Tatsuki stood back, flicking off the blood on her forehead from the blow.

"Those are my orders, yeah." As she said this, she brought her Zanpakuto in front of her again.

She understood now, what was going on, and in some ways, it was horrifying. This news terrified Rukia down to her core, sent her reeling with all kinds of guilt. That was exactly why she couldn't let it paralyze her. Rukia prepared herself for another attack, but that wasn't what she got from the Shinigami.

"You're about to see something cool, human," Tatsuki said, adjusting her grip on her Zanpakuto, "my Shikai." Rukia took a cautious step back. "Blaze, Yakeruni!"

The energy that suddenly came was immense, washing over the area like a sudden burst of boiling steam, and Tatsuki's blade transformed before Rukia's eyes. What was originally just a regular Zanpakuto turned dark as ash, the blade itself becoming much larger and curved with serrated edges that became just plain jagged as they reached the tip. From it she could feel a heat, even from this distance.

What this was exactly, Rukia didn't know. She didn't have time to ask as Tatsuki attacked immediately.

She started with the same close quarters combat she used at the beginning, keeping the pressure on Rukia, but the second their blades hit a deadlock, the uncomfortable heat shot up as flames licked forth from the blade. Rukia backed away as quickly as she could, trying to escape the fire. She ended up with singed sleeves, anyway.

Before she could even prepare another attack, Tatsuki proved her retreat to be a big mistake. She held her Shikai above her head and with a downward arc, sent a wave of flames Rukia's way. Rukia dodged left, but the sheer scope meant one of them caught through her leg, burning through the fabric of her Hakama (and her skin itself if the sudden burning pain was any indication.)

Tatsuki didn't let up after that, sending volley after volley of flames Rukia's way. Almost every single on at least grazed her, but to her luck, she never got a full-frontal fireball to the face. Still, they kept coming, and that made Rukia start to panic.

 _I don't think I can last much longer like this!_

She knew she needed to switch things up, change the course of the battle. The important question was: _How?_ For this one, she didn't have an answer. Then again, thinking back, maybe she did.

She remembered when she sent her Reiatsu through Ishida. He wasn't just weak, he was shivering after he got overloaded. Maybe it was the shock, or maybe…

 _If she has fire power, who's to say I don't have the opposite?_

It was a longshot, but it was all she had.

"Come on!" Tatsuki taunted. "Show me the power that took down a Menos!" Oh, Rukia would, once she got in place for the right shot. This was easier said than done, of course.

Tatsuki kept up a defense as tight as her offense, but that didn't make her perfect. It definitely didn't make her unreadable. Rukia had noticed that whenever she got in a little close, Tatsuki would put some distance between them, take a few steps back and fire another volley of flames. It seemed that for as strong as she was in close quarters, her Shikai wasn't quiet compatible with that style.

 _Bingo!_

The next time Tatsuki sent out an attack, Rukia went forward instead of to the side or back. She powered through the flames, dodging around the worst of it, and gritting her teeth when they bit through her already singed arm. She stepped in close to Tatsuki, out of the range of her sword.

Tatsuki's eyes widened as she brought her Zanpakuto in front of her to block, and the second they met, the moment flames started pouring down, Rukia fought back with her own Reiryoku, pumping as much through their connection as possible. The effect was instant and brutal.

The area around became cold as power flowed between the two of them, and Rukia felt her own blade cool in her hands. The flames quieted substantially, and Tatsuki froze in place, eyes wide. Her hands were trembling, and the sound of clattering metal rang out.

"How…?" She asked, breath puffing out in a fog.

With the Shinigami so unsteady, it wasn't too hard for Rukia to push Tatsuki back, knocking her Zanpakuto clear out of her hands. The flames instantly ceased, and Rukia raised her own to deal the finishing blow. She swung down.

Her Zanpakuto swept through air.

Rukia looked down to her sword, confused, and a little dazed. Less than half of it was there. She was holding it in her hands, but it was broken. She could see the other half in pieces on the asphalt.

She saw white on her right side, and it took her a second to realize that the Shinigami in the Haori was standing next to her. His blade was drawn. Before she even fully realized what happened that blade was buried in her stomach. She heard Ichigo call her name, but it was muffled, like she was underwater.

After that, everything got…confusing. She was falling, and then she was on the ground, but she doesn't remember hitting it, and everything was fuzzy. Time began to slow to a crawl.

In the distance, the man in the White Haori was grabbing Tatsuki, hefting her over his shoulder. Right in front of her, Ichigo was kneeling. His hands were on her shoulders, and he was yelling something she couldn't hear.

Why was he panicking? She was still alive, wasn't she? She could still fix this, couldn't she? Rukia tightened her grip on her stub of a Zanpaktuo. She wedged it into the ground and used it to start pushing herself up.

Abruptly, it was kicked out from under her, and she hit the ground hard, landing right on her wound. Maybe it was the sudden flash of pain, but these next words she heard very clearly.

"Please, Rukia. Just stay down. Stay down so you can live a bit longer."

It was Ichigo. She knew it was, even if she couldn't see his face. She could hear him. He sounded like he was crying. She'd never seen him cry before.

Now, she could see his feet. His scuffed up uniform shoes took stuttering steeps to a bright doorway that wasn't there before. He was flanked by the Shinigami. The door closed.

Rukia's fists clenched, and her chest tightened. Her eyes burned, and before she could even think to control it, tears were running down her face. With her forehead pressed into the rough ground, she started to sob. It wasn't as if anyone could hear her, anyway.

Ichigo was going to die.

She was already dead.

These were the last thoughts she had before her blurry vision faded entirely. The last thing she saw were a pair of wooden sandals.

Part IV

Ichigo felt like he was already dead.

* * *

 **This story will be moving into the next arc of Bleach very soon. With that will come plenty of new story elements and announcements. During this strange little transitional period I would love to hear any kind of feedback from you, my precious readers.**

 **Favorites, Follows, and Reviews give me life!**


	12. XII

**This was a bit of a hectic week for me, but I'm pleased to present this new chapter on time! Some more major changes are taking place here, though it should be for the best. I will speak in depth about them at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

Part I

Awareness came to Rukia in waves. Sensations and realizations came slowly with consciousness, and all the while she felt as if she were wading through murky water.

The first thing she realized was that she was alive. She had no idea how, but she was, and that realization was difficult to reach. She could feel various aches from burns that were scattered about her body as well as a single pulsing pain in her stomach. She figured that the dead didn't feel the wounds that killed them. Therefore, it was reasonable to say she was still alive.

Luckily, sensations aside from pain came soon after. She could feel a warm breeze, could hear the rustling of leaves, and once she finally cracked her eyes open, she could see wood paneling illuminated by sunlight.

"Finally awake, huh?" The question was so sudden that Rukia would have jumped up in surprise if she could move. She instead had to settle for quickly jerking her head to the source of the sound. She was greeted by a face she hadn't seen in a long time.

"Auntie?" she mumbled, tongue thick in her mouth. Kukaku Shiba grinned back.

"In the flesh," Kukaku said, but Rukia still couldn't believe it.

She looked exactly as Rukia remembered. She still wore those bright red robes, had her ridiculous mullet, that cocksure grin, and her knife was where it always was, strapped to the bandage wrapped stump of her missing arm. Everything looked right, but…

"No, I must still be dreaming." Rukia settled her head against the pillow again, eyes glued to the ceiling.

"What, you don't trust your ol' Auntie Kukaku?" The woman teased. Rukia pouted. She did trust her, she really did.

"I haven't seen you since…" Actually, Rukia didn't remember the last time she saw Kukaku. It must have been years now. "I haven't seen you for a long time," she finished.

Kukaku said, "Sorry about that kiddo. I had a few things to take care of." She finished her statement with a wink like she was on the verge of sharing an amazing unknowable secret. "Good think I came back when I did. Those Shinigami sure did a number on you."

Rukia eyes went wide. She was fully awake, now.

"You knew," she gasped. Of course, she knew, Rukia thought to herself. Finally, it seemed her brain had caught up with the rest of her and had started working properly again.

"Hey, I know everything, remember?" Kukaku bragged. Rukia remembered thinking that about her Auntie at one point. Actually, she still believed it.

"Then, you know I have to go, right?" Ichigo still needed her, and it wasn't like she could just abandon him, not when she still had a chance. How she was going to do it was another matter entirely, but she'd find a way. Kukaku barked out a laugh.

"You've gotten feisty over the years, haven't you?" She asked with a smirk. "I know you have to go. Hell, I'm encouraging it. I am that idiot's Aunt, after all. It's not like I'm going to leave him to die."

Rukia groaned out loud. So, _that_ was the connection. She probably should have seen it coming a mile away.

Kukaku was always just "Auntie" to Rukia, nothing more nothing less. As a small child, she didn't really think about her last name, maybe didn't even register that she had one. All she knew was that she had an Aunt that ran a place called the "Shiba Shop" and she didn't remember it well enough to connect it to the boy she'd spent the last two months getting to know.

Even putting all that aside, she should have at least caught on to the family resemblance! Looking at Kukaku now, it was all too obvious. The way her spiky hair fell around her face, her tough attitude, even the goddamn expressions she made. It was all far too similar to Ichigo to be mere coincidence.

"Hey," Kukaku stared with an odd smile, "don't beat yourself up over not figuring it out. I sure don't remember all the relatives I was dragged around to meet when I was eight."

Then, suddenly in the middle of Kukaku's placations, Rukia realized something else entirely. She forced herself up on shaking hands and went down into a low bow.

"Woah there, kiddo." Kukaku put her hand on Rukia's shoulder and tried to ease her back down, but Rukia refused to budge.

"I'm so sorry," she pleaded. "He's your nephew, and this is all my fault. I'll make sure –"

" _Stop!_ "

Rukia quieted. Her head was still down. She couldn't see Kukaku's expression, but she sounded mad. The woman finally managed fully right Rukia. The first thing she did was sit her down back on the futon.

"This was not your fault," she said firmly. "Ichigo knew what he was getting into." Rukia still kept her eyes down.

"That doesn't change…" She sighed, shaking her head. "I still played a part in it. He might be…" She trailed off, hesitating to even say it.

"Executed, right?" The word was…chilling to Rukia. Chilling like getting dumped into the deep end of the pool in the middle of January chilling. It was enough to get her to look up for just a moment, and once she did, she couldn't take her eyes away.

Kukaku was livid, that was clear to see. Her eyes burned with hatred, her fist clenched in her lap. She was filled with such a rage it couldn't even be contained in her slight form, thick malicious Reiatsu flowing off her in waves. The words were spoken casually, but her appearance gave it all away.

"I know," she continued. "Isshin thinks he can reason with these people, negotiate something, but I've been dealing with those heartless bureaucrats since he was in diapers." Her grin creeped back onto her face, but now, it held a dangerous edge to it. Rukia was instantly reminded of Tatsuki. "You have to be a bit more _direct_ to get their attention, and luckily, I've got an ally back in the Soul Society that agrees with me."

"So, we are going there," Rukia said, gripping the sheets tightly. Kukaku snorted.

"What's this 'we'?" she asked with a laugh. "I'm old! I'd probably break a hip or something! Besides, what could I do?" As she said this, she wiggled her stump arm in the air, that playful tone back in her voice.

If Rukia were being honest, Kukaku didn't look old. She looked forty at the absolute oldest (and a good forty, the type that would still be in modeling.) Then again, Ichigo was over three-hundred, so, who knew?

As for what Kukaku could do, well, she only got a taste with that Reiatsu of hers, but if she were to bet, she'd say it was a lot.

The woman continued, "It's better if you youngins go out there, have your fun, do the dirty work, all that."

Regardless of the reason, Kukaku didn't want to come along, and Rukia wasn't going to press her on it.

 _Wait, "youngins"?_

Despite the odd phrase, Rukia had to ask, "There are others, then?" Kukaku nodded.

"Yeah, those friends of yours. I sent someone over to get them, but they probably won't be joining us for a while, and then there's also Ganju…"

"Then I need to get going immediately," Rukia insisted. She was already pulling herself up and out of the bed, shoving away the remainder of the covers.

"Hey, kid, you really don't want to do that…" Kukaku warned, but it came far too late. _He_ was already here.

"You know," a voice said from the door, "if you keep moving around like that you could reopen your wound."

The voice was stern, and the words were said with such a seriousness that a shiver went down Rukia's spine. She didn't even have to look up to realize it was Tessai. She dropped the covers.

"Atta girl," Kukaku said, patting Rukia gently on the head. In less than a minute she was once again lying down fully and was more than a little annoyed by this development.

Tessai took that time to check Rukia's wounds while Kukaku asked her various questions to keep her distracted, mostly about how she's been doing.

 _You been doing alright in school?_

 _Make any new friends?_

 _How's that brother of yours?_

It was all pretty standard visiting-relative talk, made all the more surreal by this odd situation. When Tessai replaced her bandages and the questions finally ceased, Rukia could barely stop herself from letting out a sigh of relief. The relief turned to mild joy when a still-warm plate of Tessai's homecooked food was placed beside the bed. The joy then turned to disappointment when she realized it was just a bowl of rice and a glass of water.

"We wouldn't want to overstress your stomach," Tessai said calmly. Kukaku gave Rukia a pointed smirk.

"I suggest you rest up," she added, "if you want to be ready for what we've got planned, that is."

The two left not long after that, Tessai only taking a brief second to remind Rukia to actually eat the food he left. After that, Rukia found herself alone.

The high schooler slowly sat up again, only struggling slightly, this time. Grabbing the bowl of rice, she stared at it for a long moment. Her stomach quietly grumbled.

Yeah, it was plain, but it would have to do.

Honestly, the rice didn't go down easy. There was just too much to think about, too much to be anxious about, and despite Kukaku's suggestion, Rukia knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. She wasn't even sure if she'd be able to stay still.

So much new information was buzzing through her head. Her Auntie was some kind of Shinigami (probably), Ichigo was her nephew (certainly), and Rukia's humble hopes of rescuing Ichigo from certain doom had been somehow been turned into an intricately planned operation (hopefully).

However, to Rukia's surprise, these thoughts didn't overwhelm her. If anything, they steeled her. An odd mix of grim determination and anticipation filled her veins, and that was what kept her awake.  
She looked down at her now empty bowl of rice and figured that she had sat still for long enough. She dragged herself up on her feet and left the tiny room through old wooden sliding doors.

First, she peered down the hallway, satisfied only when she saw no signs of life, not even a hint of Reiatsu. After deciding that the coast was clear, she walked slowly down the familiar corridor, her steps near-silent.

(She remembered running through here with Ganju, who was frequently assigned by Auntie as her babysitter.)

Reaching the store front of the convenience store, she was surprised at its appearance. Though the lights were off, the store itself was fully stocked and freshly cleaned, everything exactly as she remembered it.

(She also remembered how she was allowed to take anything she wanted, as long as she asked ahead of time. Auntie called it the "family discount." She had to be careful when she got sweets, though. There was always the chance that Byakuya could find and take them to keep her from eating the whole bag at once.)

She lingered at the front of the shop for a moment, looking back to the unmanned cash-register. A sort of sadness, a longing, panged through her heart as she walked through the front doors and to the porch.

Well, it was pretty sorry as far as porches went. It was just a slab of concrete and a sandy lot, but she liked it.

"I'm gonna take a guess and say you shouldn't be up yet, Ruk," a joking voice said just to her left. She turned to see Ganju, smirking. A broom was in his hand. Yet another thing that had managed to stay the same. He raised an eyebrow in mock-suspicion.

"No," she decided to admit, "but I think I've been sitting still for too long already." Ganju chuckled at the statement, and Rukia turned a bit pink in response.

"You're the same as ever, huh?" He leaned his broom against the wall, at that, stretching out his back. "Don't worry. I won't tell."

The two sat down together on the porch, after that, looking up at the clear sky. The silence only lasted for a moment.

"How've you been, anyway?" Ganju eventually asked. "It's been a while, ya know. I mean, last time I saw you, you barely reached my waist." Rukia let out a deep breath through her nose, leaning back on the cement.

"I've been dealing with school, mostly," she started. "Well, that and the evil forces of Hueco Mundo."

Ganju let out a hearty laugh at that, and it hung in the warm summer air for a minute. Rukia couldn't help but smile, too, but it didn't last. Her face fell, and her hands clenched. She worried her lip trying to get the nerve to ask this next question. She hoped she wouldn't regret it.

"Ichigo is your nephew too, right?" she asked quietly. Ganju's eyes stayed on the sky, though they were unfocused, now.

"Yeah, he is," he sighed.

Rukia closed her eyes. She didn't know what to say at that, didn't know if she should try apologizing again, or if she should simply just leave. Ganju spoke again before she could make her decision.

His eyes were still far away when he said, "You know, me and him are almost the same age? I always thought it was kinda weird that he was my nephew, but I also kinda accepted it, even enjoyed it sometimes.

"I was always so proud of him, how he went on to become some great Shinigami, and…" He trailed off, but Rukia didn't dare interject. She stayed silent, waiting until he shook his head and continued. This time, his eyes were focused and were now looking at her. "We're gonna get him back, you and me."

He held a fist out in the air. Rukia bumped it with her own.

"Right," she said with a grin.

Their hands dropped, and a different sort of feeling settled in the air, this one not dissipating so easily. Rukia could almost call it excitement.

Still, another question stuck in her mind.

"So, where were you guys, anyway?" she finally asked. "Auntie said something about having 'things to take care of', whatever that means." She looked at him with a scrutinizing eye, and he shifted around, nervous.

"Well…"

"What are you doing out of bed?" Rukia froze. After a long moment of hesitation, she turned to see Kukaku. The woman didn't look too happy. Ganju somehow looked even more nervous than before.

"Just taking a walk…" Rukia supplied. It sounded weak even to her ears.

"Yeah, uh huh." Kukaku didn't sound impressed, at all. With a scowl on her face, she turned suddenly to Ganju. "And weren't you supposed to be sweeping?" He jumped up instantly.

"Sorry about that, ma'am!" In a second flat he grabbed the broom and started furiously sweeping the porch.

Kukaku watched her brother for a minute, not paying any attention to Rukia, and the girl felt herself squirm under the pressure. Her discomfort increased ten-fold when Kukaku finally turned to her again, a suspiciously amused expression on her face.

"So," the woman said, stretching out the "o" as long as humanly possible. "You're well enough to be going out for walks, are you?"

Rukia didn't dare answer.

"Ya know what that means, right?"

She shook her head dumbly.

"That means we're going to start your training early."

Rukia blinked for a moment. That was…exactly what she wanted. She felt like jumping for joy but feared that such a reaction would make Kukaku reconsider.

She settled with simply saying, "I'm ready for it."

"That's what I like to hear!" Kukaku cheered. She turned back to the entrance, motioning for Rukia to follow. "Well, it's not like we can do it here. Come on. I'm about to show you something cool."

Part II

When Renji woke up, the first thing he felt was something pressing against his face. It was small, soft, delicate, and not worth his time. Screwing his eyes shut, he shifted away from the annoyance.

This little nuisance seemed to shift with him, though. It kept poking at his cheek and sometimes his chin, insistently and consistently. It was only when the softness was replaced by the scratching of sharp claws that his eyes snapped open.

"Ow…" he mumbled, bringing a hand up to his chin. He didn't think it was bleeding, no thanks to this…thing currently resting on his chest.

He scowled down at it, a black cat staring intently black. He wasn't exactly surprised that four-eyes owned one, he seemed like the type, but he didn't notice it yesterday.

"Stupid cat," he mumbled, closing his eyes again. "Go bother your owner, or something."

"As if anyone owns me."

Renji's brain stuttered to a halt. His eyes opened slowly.

"And I'll ignore how you just called me a 'stupid cat' for your sake, human."

The cat was glaring at him with unnerving golden eyes. The cat was talking. _What the fuck, the cat was talking._

Renji screamed.

The cat jumped off instantly at that, landing on the floor with an eyeroll filled to the brim with distaste. Ishida busted through the door seconds later, bow in hand.

"Abarai, what's wrong? Is there a Hollow?" He looked panicked, his hair frazzled and his glasses on crooked like he had only just woken up.

"There's no Hollow here," the cat answered, sounding…bored? Unimpressed? Why was Renji analyzing the feelings of a talking cat? How did his life get to this point?

"Why the hell is that cat talking?" Ishida asked, bow still raised.

"Really? You fight monster ghosts and somehow _I'm_ shocking?"

Well, it wasn't wrong, there. (Or rather _he_ wasn't wrong there, if his deep voice was anything to go by.)

"I suppose you have a point," Ishida ended up saying, lowering his bow a weary look still in his eye.

Renji's brain chose then to finally start working again.

"Wait, wait, wait!" he started, rubbing his temples. "I get that you can talk, and that we're supposed to just accept it for some deranged reason, but… _Why_ are you here?"

The cat straightened himself out, then, tail flicking slowly behind it. "Actually," he said, "I was sent here. I'm afraid something quite horrible has happened."

"Something" ended up being a absolute horror story, one that Renji was glad he was sitting down for. Ichigo was captured. Rukia was badly injured in the process. Renji was breathless, like someone had just sucked all the air out of the room.

"That being said, we do have a plan."

Renji's eyes snapped to the cat once again.

"You two can be a part of it, if you so choose."

"Yes!" Renji rushed out. "I want to be able to help."

The cat nodded. "And you, Quincy?"

Looking back Ishida was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed. He was staring out into the hallway at nothing in particular. He raised a hand to adjust his glasses.

"The affairs of Shinigami are none of my concern." Renji could barely believe his ears.

"Seriously?!" Renji stood up, fists clenched, anger flaring through him. "You'd really turn your back on them? You _owe_ those two, and you know it!"

"I don't owe them my life." He still wasn't looking at them. "Perhaps is best if you go."

Renji walked right up to Ishida then and stood in front of him for a moment, fists still clenched.

He said through gritted teeth, "Fine by me," and he walked past, bumping into Ishida on the way out. The cat followed quietly behind.

They walked down into the quiet morning streets, Renji's steps lumbering, his back hunched.

"So," the cat said, breaking the silence, "is he really not coming?"

Renji let out a sigh, his squared shoulders drooping.

"He's coming, trust me." He glanced over his shoulder to the apartment building, a scowl on his face. "The guy may be an asshole, but he's not a coward."

Hell, even his "asshole" status was in question, if Renji was being honest. Assholes don't heal your wounds and then let you stay the night.

Shaking his head, he continues, "And if he decides to ditch us…" He let the threat hang in the air. He's not really sure what he'd do. He'd probably just beat the Quincy to a bloody pulp, but more than that, he'd lose any respect he ever had for the guy.

"Then I'll have to make sure to stop by again, later. I doubt he knows where the shop is."

"Wait, we're going to a shop?" The term took Renji by surprise. The cat shook his head.

"No, we're going to a makeshift training facility downtown. You have a way to go before the rendezvous date."

Honestly, Renji was hoping that the cat would take him straight to Rukia, but it seemed like he had other plans in mind. (And if Renji were to guess, he'd say those plans involved some training.)

The cat led him to what looked like a condemned factory, one that obviously hadn't been used in years. Well, maybe not so obviously.

Even though the building seemed abandoned, it was surprisingly well taken care of. Sure, there was rust and debris, and left-over junk, but all the windows were intact. There was no graffiti, no signs of looting. It was shockingly untouched.

The inside was somehow even better. There were a few boxes lying around, some of which looked new and a few of which were stocked in some old-looking metal shelves built into the walls. When the cat jumped up to press a button on the near wall, the lights stuttered on.

The cat gracefully landed on a nearby box, chest level with Renji. Gold eyes trained themselves on him, and he was suddenly sure that if cats could grin, this one would be smiling from ear to ear.

"My name is Yoruichi, and for the next ten days I will be training you."

Renji was ready for it.

The cat, Yoruichi stepped to the edge of the box, looking up at Renji and asked, "To start us off, could you show me your power?"

All it took was a thought and Renji did, summoning several spikes from his arm. Yoruichi looked at him with an appreciating gaze.

"Hmm," he hummed. "Very good. You can activate it at will."

Renji shrugged in response. He didn't think being able to do that was anything special, not when Ishida could basically do the exact same thing. (All he had to do was just try and remember what he felt when he first activated it, anyway. It came naturally after he established a kind of rhythm.)

"That makes things much easier for me," Yoruichi muttered. "I would like to hazard a guess, however, and say that you have no idea what this power actually is."

"Not a single clue," Renji said with a weak smile. Yoruichi let out a deep sigh.

"The power you have is called Fullbring," the cat explained. "A very small minority of humans possess this, and it's usually activated through strong emotions. The powers themselves are derived from Hollows."

Renji paled. "Are you saying I'm some kinda Hollow Hybrid?" He was suddenly reminded of how he never knew his father.

"No, no, not at all," Yoruichi assured. "You just got your powers from one. Fullbring users gain their powers while still in the womb if their mothers are attacked by Hollows at the time of pregnancy."

"…Huh," Renji said, a little dumbfounded. He supposed that was better than Human/Hollow hijinks, but…he had a few things to ask his mother when he next saw her.

"So," Yoruichi started, "now that we've gotten that out of the way, we can focus on what's important, getting you battle ready."

Renji took a deep breath.

 _Finally._

Part III

Uryuu watched as Renji left his apartment with the strange cat. He kept a steady eye on them as they walked out of the complex and into the streets. When Renji turned back and looked right at him, he shoved the curtains closed as quickly as he could.

Back pressed against the wall, he simply breathed for a moment.

Uryuu was many things. He was a Quincy, a high school student, occasionally an employee at a fabric store, but what he wasn't was an idiot.

Two weeks ago, he had challenged Rukia to a contest and had caused all sorts of chaos and commotion in Karakura Town. Two weeks ago, a report had been filed about Shiba's current whereabouts. He was found yesterday. He doubted the connection was lost even to Abarai.

He couldn't abandon another person to a demise had a hand in, Shinigami or not. He wouldn't be able to live with himself, and he was certain that his late sensei would feel nothing but disappointment if he did. He would come along with the others for this mission.

His training, however, would be done in private.

Eventually, he moved again, grabbing the first bag he could find and shoving all that he'd need for the next little while. He locked the door behind him and climbed down to the streets. He took one last look at the direction Abarai had taken, eyes lingering for a moment before he turned, walking in the other direction at a brisk pace.

Just along the edge of town, hidden in a thicket of trees and off the beaten path, an isolated place stood. It was surrounded by a Spiritual Barrier, and as a result, Uryuu could count the amount of people still alive that knew about it on a single hand. No random humans could stumble in here, and no Shinigami has succeeded in tracking it down, not yet at least.

(According to Uryuu's sensei, places like these used to be scattered all across the globe, but now…Well, no one really knew. They weren't active, of that he was certain. The only one that still saw any activity was this little one.)

It was his own little section of nature, cut out and preserved like the world's most vibrant fossil. Tall trees stood all around him, and through it ran a babbling brook, fresh and crystalline. The source of it was a waterfall about Twice Uryuu's height. He set down his bag on the first dry rock he saw near it.

He unpacked all his things, sorting through whatever supplies he had thought to bring. (It was mostly food, non-perishable things that either required no preparation or were tolerable without it.) He set aside a single item from inside, his bow, fully extended.

Zipping his bag back up, he picked up the bow and approached the waterfall. He briefly felt thankful for his skinny frame as he squeezed in through a comparatively dry zone between the spray of water and the rock behind it, slipping into a hidden entrance.

Squinting against the poor lighting, his eyes flitted through the cave. It was damp, a little unpleasant, and absolutely filled to the brim with old Quincy relics.

Bows hung on racks that were stacked upon other racks. A sizeable collection of books lied in a sealed chest (one that he had the key to). Things that he didn't even know the names of were placed on stands and in boxes and were practically spilling from every crevice.

On any other day, he'd stay, look through it all, and count every single item he found, but today, he ignored it in favor of a single wooden box that stood alone on a stand at the very end of the cave.

Uryuu brushed his hands against his jeans, getting rid of any left-over water before carefully opening the box. In it lied a single white glove, two large blue stripes going down the fabric that joined into one at the wrist which was lined with several tiny but powerful seals.

"Raidenhanto" as his sensei called it. "The Spirit Glove."

Uryuu remembered vividly what his grandfather said it could do. (He remembered all the lessons his sensei gave him, after all.)  
The Raidenhanto enhanced the abilities of the wearer by quite a lot, but it wasn't as simple as putting it on and getting special powers. It required a full week of non-stop endurance training and was not to be used flippantly.

Sensei had made it incredibly clear that once it was mastered, it was not to be taken off.

Uryuu carefully put the glove on. At the moment, he felt nothing, but he knew that would change. He put his old bow on an available stand and stepped out of the cave.

Part IV

When Rukia saw where she'd be training, she felt…overwhelmed.

Right then, she was scaling down a rickety ladder into an underground area that was so large and strange as to not make logical sense. It didn't even look like it was underground. It was a vast desert with rock formations and a bright blue sky. The air was filled with a dry heat that was just on the edge of uncomfortable.

And the entrance to this "training area" was the basement entrance in the stock room that she was never allowed to go into.

"I told you it was cool!" Kukaku yelled from the ground. Rukia silently agreed, sandaled feet hitting the ground barely a minute after. It was time to get to business.

"So…" she struggled to find the proper word before settling on, "Sensei, what will I be starting with?" Kukaku hummed as if considering. Rukia frowned. She was kinda under the impression that her "Sensei" had this all figured out, already.

Kukaku eventually said, "My supplier _did_ offer me these two kids of his to help with the training, but I ended up turning him down. So, I'm on my own here." She suddenly grinned. "I figured we'd just get to the good part, actually!"

"'Good part?'" Rukia did not like the sound of that, at all. Kukaku nodded enthusiastically.

"You've probably noticed that your power isn't what it used to be."

Rukia had. She'd noticed pretty quickly that she felt "emptier" than usual. An energy that she hadn't even noticed was there was gone, or at least severely diminished.

Kukaku continued, "You can thank Isshin for that. The guy somehow managed to destroy your Hakusui _and_ Saketsu all in one blow."

Rukia looked at Kukaku blankly.

"That'd be what makes you a Shinigami and what boosts that thing that makes you a Shinigami."

 _Oh._

 _Wait!_

"If that's destroyed, then why am I not a regular human Soul," Rukia argued. "Last time I checked, I don't have a chain of fate."

"Ding! Ding! Ding!" Kukaku cheered with a wink. "You're not a human Soul, quite yet. Don't worry, we can fix that."

"Fix it? I thought…"

"Yeah, it's a little odd, but I was assured that for this next part to work, we need to get you fully human, again. Of course, this whole process will take quite a while, but luckily you just got off school, and Byakuya doesn't mind you sticking around the shop for a bit to 'help me reopen.'"

Rukia was ready to ask about five questions at once, but before she could even open her mouth she was interrupted by a gust of wind and a very panicked voice.

"I came as quickly as I could!" Paku cried out. "I heard about everything, and _whathappenedtoIchigoIcan't_ –"

Kukaku cut Paku off, hitting her on the base of the neck with her hand, now clad in a glove that looked just like the one Ichigo always carried. Tessai quickly rushed in to grab Rukia's body mid-fall, and barely a second later Kukaku caught a tiny green pill that fled from Rukia's mouth.

"Sorry about that, Mod Soul," she said with a smirk. "Rukia, climb in!"

With much hesitation, Rukia did. She wasn't even surprised when she was given the same treatment as Paku the moment she settled.

Kukaku finally pulled the glove off with her teeth, and only then did Rukia feel safe. She spit it out, handing it to Tessai who quickly hefted Rukia's body over his shoulder. Kukaku then handed him the green candy.

"Guess he was right," the woman said, giving Rukia a once-over. "It only takes a second. Feel any different?"

"Yeah, I feel awful," Rukia complained. She felt slow and lethargic. She was even weaker than she was in her human body. It took her a second to register the long chain trailing all the way from her chest to the body on Tessai's shoulder.

Tessai took out a very large axe, one that Rukia was quite sure he didn't have earlier and struck the chain with ground shaking force. With a loud _SHINK!_ it snapped in two. Rukia paled

"You're a regular old Human Soul now," Kukaku said with finality. She forgot one thing, however.

"Did you just kill me?!" Rukia gasped.

"What?" Kukaku had a single eyebrow quirked. She jerked her head towards Tessai. "Check her."

Rukia felt herself grow paler as Tessai shifted her body from his shoulder and brought an ear up to her chest to listen for a heartbeat. After an impossibly painful moment, he nodded.

"See," Kukaku said with a smile, "your body's fine. You're alive…kinda."

Rukia felt like crying. She was pretty sure this couldn't get any worse. (How did she never realize that her Auntie was a sadist?)

"Now, time for the good part!" Kukaku cheered. She snapped her fingers, the sound echoing through the chamber.

Tessai's free hand glowed with the now-familiar light of a Kidō Spell, two spells to be exact. The first had Rukia's hands shoved roughly behind her, not a single millimeter of give to these invisible ropes. The second whizzed right past Rukia, landing on the ground behind her and leaving her ears ringing.

 _BOOOM!_

The ground shook as she felt heat at her back. Her eyes widened as she saw cracks develop in the ground at her feet.

Then, of course, Kukaku decided to, with a single sandaled foot, kick Rukia over the edge.

Oh, her Auntie was more than just a sadist. She was a psychopath. Rukia hit the ground, mildly surprised when she wasn't pulverized beyond recognition by the fall. Still, it _hurt_!

"Are you alright?" Kukaku's voice echoed down the deep chamber. Looking up, the woman was now about the size of Rukia's thumb. (Not that she was able to check.)

"What the hell was that for?" Rukia yelled back. Kukaku grinned at her cheekily.

"A safety measure," she explained. "Again, more my supplier's idea than mine, but I thought it was a good one."

Rukia was pretty sure that when she met this supplier, she'd tear him a new one.

Kukaku continued, grin dropping, "Now that your Chain of Fate had been cut, you have two options, kid.

"One: have a good long talk with that Zanpakuto of yours, or two: become a Hollow. That chain of fate's going to give you three days, so I'd suggest getting started."

Kukaku disappeared from the mouth of the pit, and Rukia could only stare up helplessly, anger still going strong.

She wouldn't just rip the supplier a new one. She'd _kill_ him.

* * *

 **Yeah, I pulled another switcharoo, and ya'll are just going to have to wait and try your hand at predictions for a while about what this switcharoo entails. For now, I'll bring up a few things that I don't consider spoilers.**

 **First off, I changed the dynamic of the Shiba family a bit, here. In Bleach, Isshin is only tangentially related to Kukkaku, Kaien, and Ganju. In my story, they are all siblings, with Kukkaku being the eldest (and therefore former Head of the Shiba family, but we'll get to that later). The order goes Kukkaku, Isshin, Kaien, and Ganju, with Isshin being the current Head of the family. This change was mostly for the sake of streamlining the family politics that will inevitably come into play.**

 **As a side note, I also decided to use the German names for Quincy abilities and items, but in this case it's for aesthetic reasons. Shinigami use Japanese phrases and names and Arrancar use Spanish phrases and names. I simply thought that Quincy using German phrases would balance things out. (Plus, they were all officially given German names so it was an incredibly easy thing to do.)**

 **Thank you for your time, and remember, your favorites and reviews give me life.**


	13. XIII

**This chapter was a ton of fun, and I should probably inform you all that after this we have two chapters left in this arc. Once it concludes I'll be taking a short break of yet undetermined length.**

 **See the end for a few notes on some more changes to canon.**

* * *

Part I

 _Day One 17:00_

There was something about sitting at the bottom of a pit, craning your neck to see your food get lowered to you by a rope that was quite unpleasant.

Scratch that, it was downright degrading, or at least that was what Rukia thought as she watched her dinner slowly approach from above.

"Hope you like fruit, kid!" Kukaku's voice echoed through the chamber, and just as Rukia was about to ask her what she meant, an item rolled from the tray, flew through the air several meters, and landed on the ground with a resounding _splat_!

Rukia looked at the pulpy mess distastefully. It was an orange, and as she saw her food lower to eye level, she noticed it wasn't the only one.

The tray was piled high with all kinds of fruit, actually. There were apples, plums, bananas, mangos, a single large watermelon (graciously cut in half), and yes, oranges.

Rukia was instantly reminded of how her arms were bound behind her back by literal magic. How the hell did they expect her to eat any of this?

With a stubborn frown, she thought, _Hey, if I managed to open the water bottle, I can do this!_

She would later be very glad that no one was there to see the embarrassing moments that followed. (Repositioning pieces with her feet, digging in face first, the works.) All that really mattered was that it solved her hunger problem, and she now had the energy to focus on other, more important matters. Rukia sat on uneven ground.

Now, finally, she was able to focus on the fact that she had literally no idea what she was doing.

She was supposed to talk to her Zanpakuto, but about three hours ago, she didn't even know that Zanpakuto could talk. She only learned yesterday that they had names or special abilities, and today she was learning that they were fully sentient.

Okay, she could accept that. She's been given plenty of curveballs in her life, and this was hardly the worst one. That still left the question of "Then, how do I talk to it?"

She knew her powers resided in her Soul, and since right now that was all she was (all she'd ever be if she didn't hurry it up), then it was as good as saying they were a part of her, that she should be able to access it with the right…and that was where things got a little fuzzy. She wasn't sure what she needed, maybe some magic key or spell or incantation, and Kukaku didn't seem eager to give any kind of answer.

The one thing Rukia seemed to be sure of was that she needed to clear her head, get a better view on this thing. Usually clearing her head would involve reading a book or taking a walk.

She didn't have a book on hand, and she had tried pacing around the chasm, it didn't help.

So, instead, she remembered something her old karate sensei taught her, meditation. As a nine-year-old child, nothing was more daunting, more frustrating, but as she stuck with it, she realized it wasn't so bad, though it never became a part of her routine. She dropped it with the class itself at the end of middle school.

Now, it just may be the magic key she was looking for.

Rukia brought her legs into a lotus position so poor that her old sensei probably would have yelled at her for it, closed her eyes, straightened her back, and tried to clear her mind, to focus on the only thing that mattered to her, now.

She focused on her own power, meager as it was. The behemoths of energy that were Kukaku and Tessai didn't make this easy, however. It was like trying to keep your eyes on the flame of a candle while someone was shining two industrial spotlights in your them. They were blinding in a way that was almost painful, and Rukia had to wonder yet again what kind of power those two were really hiding.

Still, she kept looking, kept searching for that tiny little flame, and every time she did, she would hold on, even if it was only for a few seconds.

This ended up being worth it as the time she could hold on for steadily increased. She held on to every gained second until it became minutes, until she got just enough time to pry into what she was actually focused on.

At first, it was just _her_. It was her own power, her own Soul, but weaker than usual, but as she pried further, she came across something that markedly wasn't _her_. It was…well, she wasn't sure what it was. At the moment, it just felt like static from a bad transmission. Still, she would take it.

Rukia continued prying, slipping back now and again, taking every small victory she could get. All the while, she ignored her steadily shrinking Chain of Fate.

Part II

Renji fired an attack at a vaguely human shaped target, hitting it right in the chest with a detached spike.

"Again!" yelled Yoruichi. He followed the order without question.

He fired again, and again, and again until the muscles in his arms trembled, and he still didn't stop.

"You are strong," the cat had said, "but not strong enough. These long-range attacks may save your life."

Renji didn't doubt it, didn't question it. That just wasn't the type of student he was, but he did reason that his new sensei was right on that one. He needed more than just one attack, especially if he ever hoped to take down someone powerful enough to defeat Rukia.

He continued to launch spikes from his arms until they simply stopped coming. His arms shook, and every summoned spike retracted on their own.

"Impressive. Your endurance is improving quite well." It still wasn't good enough, he thought.

Renji panted out, "I…I'm n-not much of a long-range fighter." That was always more of Ishida's thing, and he's pretty sure that if he compared his aim with the Quincy's he'd be laughed at.

That wasn't a problem, though. All that meant was that he had to get better.

"You may not be," Yoruichi agreed. "To be honest, you don't have the temperament for it, but learning this will help you avoid confrontation when possible."

Yoruichi then took the time to inspect the mutilated target. Pieces were cut off, holes were hacked into it, and it was barely recognizable any more. The cat looked at it appreciatively, hopping up on a nearby ledge to nudge at the head where a sizable hole was torn through right between its dot-eyes. Renji didn't remember when he did that one.

"Besides, I think your aim is better than you think, boy."

Renji nodded as the cat hopped from the ledge, and towards another more open area of the warehouse.

"Would you be able to activate your powers?" Yoruichi asked. Renji shrugged in response, trying for a moment. Yoruichi's eyes flicked back to him the moment he was able to summon them, studying the spikes with a scrutinizing eye.

"I won't be firing anymore, right?" Renji asked. He wasn't sure if he had any more in him.

"Nothing of the sort," Yoruichi said offhandedly, approaching him. The cat slinked closer, nearly brushing against the spike on his leg. "These come from your tattoos, right?" Renji nodded. "I assume they are important to you."

"They are," he immediately answered. "My mom actually works as a tattoo artist."

It was the job she always wanted, the one that made her the happiest. She had a few tattoos herself, and he'd always been impressed by them. (His favorite was the dragon she had going down her shoulder, no question.)

"She didn't do any of these!" he quickly cleared up. "I got them somewhere else, but they keep her close, you know…"

The hole story was a bit embarrassing, honestly. Renji really wasn't the sappy type, but this seemed to be the kind of story Yoruichi was looking for based on the pleased look on his face.

"Good," he said. "You should know, the emotional power you have behind these mean they carry great potential."

Though it was still a little difficult to grasp, Renji was starting to understand just how deeply tied these powers were to his emotions, in the same way that Rukia's were to her Soul.

Yoruichi continued, "We'll be trying something a little different for our next exercise." Renji was ready for different. Different was all he'd been getting for the last two days, after all. "I want you to land a single hit on me."

Renji paused for a moment.

"So, a spar?" he asked.

"That's one way of putting it, yes," Yoruichi answered with a nod.

Now, Renji may not have been the smartest kid, but he wasn't a fool. Catching a normal cat was difficult, and this was clearly not a normal cat. This cat had power, power that he had not yet made Renji privy to, and that made Renji nervous.

Then again, if he couldn't handle this, then he shouldn't be going to the Soul Society and putting himself up against guys that will doubtlessly be more intimidating than a Super-Powered cat.

Said Super-Powered cat continued, "The fight will be simple. I will keep to physical attacks and you are forbidden from using your long-ranged technique. Other than that, anything goes, and we stop the moment you manage to land a hit on me."

"Sounds good to me."

Yoruichi smiled.

The two got into position, Renji feeling a little silly squaring up against a cat. Meanwhile, Yoruichhi's tail flicked back and forth as he stared up intently at Renji. The cat waited, not making a single move.

Renji had been in a few spars before. He knew this tactic. Hell, he was intimately familiar with it. His first sensei regularly used it on him, and not long after, Rukia started taking up the tactic in his stead. It was simple baiting, an attempt to run out his patience and get him to attack first in order to control the situation better.

There was, of course, a reason that Rukia used it on him until this day. It worked.

Renji sprang forward, diving down for the cat. He skidded on cement, his arms plowing through thin air.

"You will have to do better than that," Yoruichi chided. Renji's eyes snapped up to the ceiling, where the cat currently was, gazing down amusedly from the rafters. The cat jumped down a moment after on a large crate, legs slightly bent.

"I'm just getting started," Renji said with a grin, picking himself off the ground. He sprinted to the crates, smashing through them easily, spilling piles and piles of what looked like Soul Candy on the ground. Yoruichi stood right next to the mess.

Renji quickly kicked out a leg at the cat, swiping in a large arc, but the cat was simply too fast. It jumped over the strike, landed on his extended leg and jumped up right to Renji's face, pushing off like a spring board. Renji was sent stumbling to the ground, back first.

His eyes stung as he brought a hand up to his nose, feeling shallow cuts on the bridge. Damn, those claws hurt!

"You're done already?" Yoruichi asked, tone mocking, and back in the rafters.

"No way." Renji got back to his feet again, and with a wild grin brandished the spike on his arm.

The two went at each other again and again, Yoruichi practically teasing him as the cat darted in and out of range. Renji missed every single attack, but the failure only drove him forward. It was one particularly aggressive pursuit that led him up to the rafters with Yoruichi.

He had the cat, he just knew it, and with that grin on his face he dove after Yoruichi again, ready to take the cat down with him.

He ended up face down on the floor, Yoruichi sitting on his back.

"That's enough for today," Yoruichi said. "I'll see you here, same time as tomorrow. For now, just get some rest." Renji said nothing as he climbed back onto his elbows. He just watched as the cat slinked out of the warehouse door.

As the door closed, Renji peeled himself the rest of the way off the floor.

"Don't want to do that again," he grumbled. That had been a hard fall and glancing up the rafters he realized how high it had really been. He supposed being able to make a jump like that was a victory of its own.

Before he could celebrate, however, he needed to go home and ice his…everything.

Part III

 _Day Two 8:14_

Rukia jerked awake. She didn't even know when she fell asleep. The last thing she remembered was meditating, and here she was, slumped over into the dirt, pebbles digging into her cheek.

It was a difficult thing getting herself upright without the use of her arms, but it didn't take too long. The second she was up, she was shaking the dust out of her hair, and trying her best to rub off the dirt and debris stuck to her face. She spent a bit of time getting her bearings and trying to get herself fully awake. Somewhere during that process, she was forced to face the chain on her chest.

It was her time limit, her Chain of Fate being eaten before her eyes, disappearing bit by bit, piece by piece, and something she noticed today that hadn't registered yesterday was that it hurt.

It wasn't a literal hurt. It didn't feel like someone was stabbing her in the chest, but it still hurt, in a way she couldn't quite explain, like a deeply aching wound without a source, and today it was barely half the size of yesterday.

Rukia scrambled into position and tried to meditate again. The results were…mixed.

"Come on," she muttered to herself. "this is _not_ the time." She was anxious, off form, and her position was even sloppier than yesterday. Her focus was off, and she knew it.

She sprung to her feet after a few minutes of fruitless efforts and began walking around her tiny prison. Her worry was getting the best of her, and all she needed right now was for it to go away.

At first, she tried to rationalize yesterday's success, that she had done fairly well, that all she needed to do was recreate that focus and she might be able to hear more than static and garbled words. This did not help.

Her mind quickly drifted to other things. She wondered what would happen if that timer ran out, if she really became a Hollow. Auntie and the others would have to destroy her, no question. After that, she'd be dead and end up in the Soul Society, completely powerless. Her friends would go ahead with the mission alone. There was, of course, the chance that they wouldn't succeed, especially being down one member. They would be killed, Ichigo would be executed, and it would be all her fault, just like how it was all her fault they were in this position to begin with.

 _"Worrying will do you no good."_

Rukia's steps paused. Who said that? It certainly wasn't her. It didn't sound like Kukaku or Paku. She was alone here, so…

"My Zanpakuto," she whispered to herself. "My Zanpakuto!"

She did it. She finally heard something! She heard a voice, and it was soft and lilting and sweet, even if the words it was saying were blunt. She couldn't quite make out if it was a man or a woman, but she knew it was her Zanpakuto.

Rukia took a deep breath and sat back down. Holding onto the words she had heard she began her concentration again. No, she wasn't able to hear anything else, but now that she _knew_ there was something to be heard, she was able to go forward with much more confidence. She stayed there, eyes closed, until breakfast came to interrupt her.

"Special delivery!" Ganju called down, lowering the tray of fruit. Rukia didn't think she could get so tired of _fruit_ , but now she was sure she didn't want to eat it again for the rest of her life. Still, she said thank you as she watched the tray be lowered down, closing her eyes the moment it touched the ground.

She continued with her meditations.

Part IV

Uryuu hadn't slept in three days and it was starting to show.

His fingers were bleeding, his tongue was dry, his legs ached, and that wasn't even the half of it. Despite that, he dutifully continued firing arrow after arrow into imaginary targets (specific branches and rocks for the most part.)

In the back of his mind, he knew that he couldn't go on for much longer, that in far too many ways he was just as human as anyone else, and that his short five-minute breaks of stuffing his face and gulping down water straight from the spring just weren't enough. Still, he didn't want to stop, not yet.

He continued hitting his imaginary targets one after the other with the simple methodical motions that he had known since he was five, when his grandfather gave him his first practice bow.

This training was demanding, but there was no use whining about it. He needed the power, and this was the only way to get it. It was as simple as that. He wasn't going to stop and wasn't going to take any breaks.

He turned to the next target and stumbled as the single tree blurred and split into two. Okay, maybe he needed a break. Uryuu let the next arrow dissipate as he stumbled back to the stream, bow still activated.

That was the thing about the Raidenhanto. You had to keep it activated for seven uninterrupted days, and if you deactivated by, let's say, passing out, it was all over. You had to start from the beginning, and he couldn't afford that.

Then again, resting his eyes for a few minutes wouldn't hurt.

Uryuu gulped down a generous amount of water before lying back into the grass. His eyes stayed on the sun and the clouds as he pumped as much power into the bow as he could. He let his eyes slip close.

Part V

 _Day Three 14:22_

Rukia screwed her eyes shut in an effort to listen to the voice in her head. (Yes, she knew exactly how crazy that sounded.) The chain on her chest was only a few centimeters long, and she was out of time. She needed to do this _now_.

"Come on, say something else, anything else," she muttered. Why didn't her Zanpakuto listen! It was still only static and garbled words, and she was starting to get the impression that her Zanpakuto didn't even _want_ to listen. Didn't it know what was at stake here?

Rukia didn't want to fail. She didn't want to leave Ichigo to die. She wanted to repay him, make sure he was safe, and help her friends with the invasion that she put upon them. She wanted to protect as many of them as she could from her mistake, and she couldn't do any of that if she was dead.

Sadly, all the conviction in the world couldn't seem to stop that chain from shrinking centimeter by centimeter. Above her she could hear solemn whispers and mutterings, even Ganju's worried voice.

She kept chanting prayers, practically begging her Zanapkuto for any kind of answer or clue or sign, and she got nothing. She stood there, panicked as the minutes ticked by and the Chain of Fate shrunk further. It was nearly gone.

 _It can't just end like this. Not now, not here._

The last link of the chain was being eaten up. Her breath stole away.

 _I won't let it!_

It disappeared entirely, and in its place was an empty hole through her chest.

Turning into a Hollow felt even worse than it looked. The forming hole was absolute agony. She would have cried out if it weren't for the thick putty-like fluid pouring out of her mouth and nostrils, choking her. She collapsed to her knees as it formed over her face blocking her vision. Panicked shouts were heard from above. Everything went dark.

It took Rukia a couple of seconds to realize that the darkness she was looking at wasn't the inside of a Hollow Mask.

The darkness couldn't have simply come from something covering her eyes. This darkness was as endless and vast like the sky itself. It even had a lovely full moon.

 _Wait_.

Rukia moved to push herself off the ground, flat on her back as she was, but the second her palm landed, it slipped, and she crashed back down with a heavy impact.

"Ow…" she groaned, turning her head to the side. She was on ice, for some reason. No wonder she slipped.

The second time around, Rukia got up a bit more carefully. (It was now that she realized her arms were no longer bound.) With wide eyes she took in this new mysterious place.

She was on a frozen lake, one that impossibly went on as far as the eye could see. It was perfectly flat and pristine, and above it all hung a starless sky and a full moon. Where she was, she had no idea, but it couldn't have been on Earth, or the World of the Living, for that matter.

She took a few unsure steps, feet moving slowly on icy ground. They were bare, but they didn't burn with the cold like they should have. The ground felt cool, comforting, but not cold. (It was all made stranger by how her breath still puffed out white with every exhale.) She was about to try and walk, pick a direction and move until she found something or someone, but she was stopped by the perfect silence being broken by a quiet voice.

"You are here." Rukia gasped, glancing around the lake. There was no one here, no one for kilometers, so… She looked down, her eyes catching something strange.

The surface of the lake was not clear. It was covered in frost and tiny imperceptible patterns, but her reflection was still barely visible.

 _Well_ , she thought as she looked closer, _someone's reflection._

She couldn't see it clearly, just noticing certain colors where they shouldn't have been. She crouched down to the ice, and with a hand wiped away some of the frost to get a clearer view. The eyes that stared back were not her own.

In the ice was the most beautiful woman Rukia had ever seen. Her hair was as white as snow and she had skin that shined like starlight. Her eyes were a clear pale blue and she was clad in a traditional kimono as white as her hair.

"You're it, aren't you," Rukia breathed. "You're my Zanpakuto." The woman gave a gentle nod.

"I am your Zanpakuto Spirit, Rukia. You have wished to see me." The voice was exactly as she remembered. Soft and gentle. Rukia was in awe, and then suddenly it all came back to her, and she was left there wondering how she ever forgot.

"Yes, please," she pleaded, "I need you back. I need the power to be able to save my friend."

Her Zanpkakuto continued to look at her, expression unreadable.

"I do not give my power so freely, Rukia Orikasa. Now, however is a poor time for such decorum. Your world is crumbling, Rukia."

Rukia hadn't noticed until now, but she was shivering. She was sure the air here was comfortable moments ago, but then she could feel the temperature quickly dropping as the ice began to numb her hands and knees. It became more brittle, gentle curves and crevices becoming sharp and uneven. Even the moon's light was dimming.

"If your world crumbles all it lost, Rukia," the Zanpakuto continued, sadness in her eyes, "but if you can find me, hope remains."

"How do I find you, then?" Rukia rushed out. Her hands were shaking on the ice. "I need to find you!"

"Things will not be the same, Rukia. I will change, you will change."

"I don't care!" Rukia finished her cry by slamming her fist against the ice, and cracks began to form, radiating from the impact. They spread out like a spider's web growing larger and larger, quickly obscuring the woman from view. They grew and deepened, and before she knew it, she was falling into freezing water.

For a moment, Rukia was unable to move. She just stayed there floating, facedown below the surface and she quickly began to sink. It was paralyzingly cold, but beautiful in a way. Light still streamed through the surface in ribbons landing on the floor of the lake below.

She almost forgot she was suffocating.

That last thought was enough to make Rukia spring back into motion. She struggled and pulled her way back to the surface forcing numb limbs to move, gasping the moment she broke through.

The perfect frozen lake was in pieces, jagged bits of ice floating through dark murky water. The moon above was waning, down to half. It was already approaching a crescent.

It was a timer. It had to have been, and boy, was she sick of timers. She had to find her Zanpakuto by then, and since there was no where above to look for it, that left only one option.

Below.

With a shuddering breath, Rukia dove back under the water, squinting against the quickly dimming light. She sunk deeper and deeper, ignoring the cold that settled in her bones. She didn't stop until she saw her fingers touch the sandy lake floor. (She had stopped feeling them a while ago.)

Looking back up briefly, she saw the moon through the surface of the water, and it was bad. There was barely any left, a sliver of a crescent being all that was there to guide her. By the time she looked back down, she realized that it wasn't enough to see by, so she simply started digging, hoping the limited sensation she had left would be enough.

She kicked up sand and dirt, digging through and searching for something, anything. Just as the light left her completely, her hand brushed against something. It could have been an oddly shaped rock, or a particularly large branch, she didn't know, but the second she got a hold of it, she _pulled_.

Before Rukia knew it, she was breathing air, actual air. She was disoriented, stumbling slightly. Her sandaled foot hit a rock.

She was back in the pit. She was wearing her black Shinigami robes, and in her hand, she was clutching the hilt of her broken Zanpakuto.

Wasting no time, with shaky feet she leapt out of the hole, landing just on the edge. In front of her stood Kukaku, Tessai, and Ganju.

Kukaku was holding her knife in front of her. Tessai had a spell readied at his fingertips. Ganju just looked horrified.

Why did they…?

Rukia then realized something. She reached up to her face, and realized she had a mask on. She pulled it off, and immediately a sigh of relief went through the three wary watchers.

The mask she was holding was a Hollow's there was no doubt about that. It was bone white and had an elongated snout that had ridges running down the nose. Long interlocking fangs were at the end, and it had eyes that were wide and empty. No wonder the others had been so afraid.

The mask was taken from her by a gentle hand.

"Congrats for making it out alive, kid," Kukaku said with a smile, turning the mask over in her hand. She quickly handed it to Tessai, who tucked it away into a pocket in his apron.

"I guess I did," Rukia sighed out. She cracked a relieved smile of her own.

"I should let you know," Kukaku started, a certain glint in her eyes, "this next part won't be any easier." Rukia had expected as much.

"I'm ready for it," she said. Kukaku grinned wide.

"Then let's begin." Rukia turned her Zanpakuto in her hand, feeling as if she were ready for anything. She wasn't ready for what Kukaku said next. "Paku, come down here!"

Displeased murmurings could be heard as a figure climbed quickly down the ladder and to the training area. Much to Rukia's surprise the figure wasn't her own.

The person that came down was lanky and thin. She had brown hair that laid down perfectly flat ending halfway down her back and ears that stuck out just a little. She walked to Rukia, looking very unsure. It took Rukia a moment to even recognize this as Paku.

"I decided to give Paku her own gigai," Kukaku explained. "I didn't want you feeling like you had to hold back because you were fighting your own body."

"Wait," piped in Paku, "we're going to fight? Also, I get to keep this, right."

"More of a spar, really," Kukaku corrected. "This is just some simple training. I'll call it off when Rukia can land a hit on you, and yeah, you can keep it."

Paku's eyes lit up at that. Rukia wasn't sure exactly what they were lighting up about, to be honest. She also wasn't sure about this whole situation in general.

She'd seen Paku in battle. For how annoying and lazy the Mod Soul could be, she sure could fight. Rukia had never gone against the girl in a straight up brawl before, and she wasn't planning to, either, not until now, anyway.

With a gulp she remembered how the Mod Soul's feet could crack a full-sized Hollow's mask straight in half, and how, out of all those who fought the in the Hollow-bait incident, she was the only one too come out unharmed.

Rukia had her work cut out for her. That was certain.

Part VI

Ichigo sat quietly in his cell.

It was a nice cell, really. It was large. He had a chair, a little bed. There wasn't much to complain about. It was probably the most peace and quiet he's gotten since his sisters were born.

Not many people came by his cell. There was the occasional low-ranked officer that swung by to drop off a meal, and that was about it. His dad had yet to come by, and as far as he knew his sisters weren't allowed to see him.

Yes, it was quiet today, like it was every other today, and all that quiet made it easy for him to think.

Ichigo's mind kept playing through the events leading up to this, his incarceration.

He thought about his carelessness that caused the initial incident. (Underestimating that Hollow was a mistake, and he knew it. He was a Lieutenant. He should have done better.)

He thought about how the report of him was even filed. (He should have been more careful with Uryuu. The kid didn't mean anything by what he did, but Ichigo should have known better.)

He kept thinking about Rukia, and how she was mercilessly killed by his own father. (Goat Face was just trying to protect Tatsuki, though. What did Ichigo do? Nothing. He should have done something.)

Ichigo let each mistake, each "should have" and "would have" sink deep in his mind in a way that he hadn't since Uncle Kaien died.

He was dragged from his thoughts when the silence was broken. There were approaching footsteps, light and steady. They stopped right before the thick bars of his cell. He didn't move, and for a while, his visitor didn't either. He was the one that had to break the silence a second time.

"I'm glad you're alright, Tatsuki," he said. She didn't answer at first. She just shuffled about, nervous.

She eventually said, "They cleared me for duty yesterday, which is good. Captain Hitsugaya's probably getting antsy without his Lieutenant."

"I hear he can be a bit demanding, huh?" Ichigo asked, cracking a smile.

"Yeah, he can." She sounded like she wanted to say more, but she hesitated. The words hung in the air, and the moment passed. Ichigo ended up saying something, instead. Something was on his mind for a while.

"You came for me."

Tatsuki scoffed, "I wasn't going to leave you in this cell alone."

"No, I mean back there, in the World of the Living."

"Oh." She paused for a moment before quietly saying, "Well, someone had to knock some sense into you."

Ichigo didn't answer, just silently agreed.

"Hey," she started. "Isshin's going to get you out of this. You know that, right?"

Ichigo still didn't respond. This time, the silence stretched on, and though she waited for a while, eventually Tatsuki seemed to have enough. She walked away. He heard the door shut quietly behind her.

Ichigo didn't know if his father would be able to get him out of this, and really, he didn't care. He deserved whatever was coming to him. Death didn't frighten him. He was ready.

That's what he told himself, anyway.

* * *

 **Hope you had a as much fun with this one as I did. Now, to talk about some changes.**

 **First off, I gave Pakku a body, something that (to my knowledge) never happened to Kon. This is all a part of my "Make Paku a Well-Rounded Character" Campaign. I'll have a drawing of her up eventually (also a drawing of Miné, some of the OC Zanpakuto Characters [yeah, there are more coming], and possibly a casual!Byakuya), but probably not for a while.**

 **A more major change is how (curveball) Tatsuki is actually Hitsugaya's Lieutenant, not Isshin's. This is mostly because Matsumoto was canonically Isshin's Lieutenant before she was ever Hitsugaya's, so I figured that in a world where Isshin never left, that never would have changed. Similarly, Isshin is still Captain of Squad 10, while Hitsugaya is now Captain of Squad 6.**

 **Your reviews and favorites give me life!**


	14. XIV

**Here it is! The longest chapter yet. It's a one huge training montage and I love it. A quick definition for a Japanese word that's going to get thrown around a lot.**

 **Wakizashi: A short sword worn traditionally by samurai in feudal Japan. They are as small as 30 cm (12 in) and are used for close quarters combat and beheadings.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

 _Day 4_

Rukia knew it was morning. She knew that the sun was just barely rising in the sky and that the cool nighttime air was quickly warming.

Then again, overnight the sky could have fallen, and all the earth's oxygen could have turned into helium. She wouldn't know, not sequestered as she was in the Shiba Shop's underground training area, bright and early for her fight against Paku.

Honestly, she had expected the fight to start the minute Kukaku announced it, yesterday afternoon, but the woman called for a break mere seconds later, just as Rukia began wrapping her head around the idea of fighting the Mod Soul.

When Rukia said as much, Kukaku simply waved her off with a laugh, saying that it was no good training when one was exhausted. It took the woman saying that for Rukia to even _realize_ she was exhausted.

The girl felt completely drained after her strange little experience in her "Inner World" as Kukaku had called it. She still didn't quite understand what happened. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she'd be able to describe what happened. It all felt so surreal, like she dreamt the whole thing up. At least she'd have a decent amount of time to parse through all this, though. Well, semi-decent.

"We only have seven more days to do this," her Auntie had said. "We gotta make 'em count!"

 _Seven days left…_

The time limit hung heavy over Rukia's head, and she refused to forget it, to push it in the back of her mind. She marked every day in her head, counting down, making sure she knew when that final _Day 10_ came.

By _Day 10_ she had to be strong, strong enough to defeat anyone who may come in her path. It was a daunting task, but it wasn't one that scared her. If anything, it spurred her on, kept her going.

All this brought her back to today, her _Day 4_. She was standing in front of Paku who was bouncing lightly on her feet, a mischievous grin on her face. Rukia gripped the handle of her broken Zanpakuto tighter. All the while, Rukia was thinking about how the heck she was going to pull this one off.

"Begin!" Kukaku yelled. The word caught Rukia by surprise, but Paku was plenty ready.

The Mod Soul was already charging in for a high kick, one that Rukia had barely any time to guard against. She brought up her Zanpakuto in its usual blocking position.

Paku's sandal covered foot went right through the air that Rukia's Zanpakuto blade would have occupied if it weren't less than a quarter of its usual size. Her foot landed solidly on Rukia's collar bone.

The Substitute was on her back before she even realized what had happened. That was definitely going to leave a bruise.

"Little too fast for you, _ma'am_?" Paku asked, mocking. She stood over Rukia, hands on her hips, grinning.

Rukia responded with an icy glare and a spontaneous ambush, springing up to Paku, leading with her sword. The other girl weaved out of the way, grin ever wider.

"I'll show you fast," Rukia breathed. She struck again, swiping out at the Mod Soul. Paku danced out of the way a second time.

"Really?" she sung, a falsely innocent expression on her face. She spread out her arms in an open gesture, saying, "I'm waiting."

Rukia didn't hesitate. She ran in close swiping at Paku once, twice, three times, each time being evaded by steps to fast to track. All the while, Paku's smirk stayed firmly on her face as she dodged, stepping just out of reach, but staying just in range. Great, the Mod Soul was toying with her now.

"You know, this would be a lot easier if you stayed still," Rukia said with a wry smile.

"Yeah," Paku mused, side stepping another stab, "but it wouldn't be as fun." Then, with a glint in her eyes, she ran out of view from Rukia, disappearing in a flash.

Just as Rukia started to spin around to find the girl, she felt an impact at the back of her legs, forcing her to her knees.

"Besides, that'd make me a pretty bad teacher, wouldn't it?" Paku said this with a giggle.

Rukia swung her Zanpakuto behind her propelling herself onto one foot. She swung through empty air. Paku's giggling continued. All it did was piss Rukia off.

Taking a deep breath, the Substitute thought that a change in tactics was in order. She didn't have the reach needed to hit someone as fast as Paku, and she didn't have the speed to keep up. She needed something else, anything else, but she wasn't sure what "else" she had.

 _Well,_ she thought. _There was something._

Rukia scrambled to unfasten the leather strap that held her sheath to her back. She just had to _hit_ Paku, didn't she? It didn't have to be with her sword, necessarily. This was what she was thinking as she got a grip on her, still full length, sheath.

Just as she was getting a good grip on it, Paku kicked it out of her hands sending it skittering away several meters. Paku stood between her and the sheath, legs squared.

"Hey, we're supposed to be fighting, here," Paku said with a pout.

"I was getting to that," muttered Rukia, gripping her Zanpakuto once more. She moved first, swiping out with her stubby sword. Paku dodged, sticking her tongue out for good measure. Her eyes widened, however, when Rukia followed through with a roundhouse kick aimed at her stomach. She missed again, but only barely. With this, a new pattern was set.

Rukia's disadvantage was still clear, especially with Paku being considerably taller than she was, now. Still, she pressed on, slowly making her way to the sheath. The results were…mixed.

Paku dodged, darted, and dashed, all to derail the path that Rukia had hoped to carve. It left her frustrated, her muscles starting to burn.

This went on for much longer than Rukia would have liked, leaving Paku as smug as Rukia was tired. Eventually, Kukaku decided that it was enough for now.

"I'm calling it!" she yelled.

"No," Rukia said with a heavy breath. "I need to keep going."

"I said, I'm calling it." Kukaku said this, voice low and commanding.

Rukia paused for a moment before nodding. She gathered her Zanpakuto and its sheath, straightening herself out. She ignored Paku who was still buzzing with excitement beside her.

Kukaku grinned. "Lunch is probably ready by now, and I'm not missing Tessai's Omurice for you two brats."

Yeah, that sounded pretty good, Rukia had to admit. Her stomach rumbled softly in agreement.

She followed the two others up the ladder and into the main shop feeling every little bruise and ache as she climbed. The smell that greeted her at the top made it all worth it, though. The second she saw the short table she collapsed into an empty spot near Ganju. (He already had his spoon out, anticipation clear on his face.)

Kukaku let out a small cheer when Tessai walked through the dining room door with as many plates in his hands as he could carry. (Which was quite a lot. He had biceps about as wide as Rukia's head and arms as long as her legs.) When a plate was placed in front of Rukia, she just about melted with happiness.

On it was a beautiful little omelet, fluffy and steaming. Perfectly even lines of ketchup were drizzled on in a zig-zag pattern. After the cursory, "Itadakimasu!" she took a generous bite. It tasted about as good as it looked.

"Woah, this is kind of amazing," Paku said, mouth half full.

"That's Tessai's cooking for you!" cheered Ganju. Rukia nodded in agreement, mouth too full to respond verbally. She hadn't even realized she was this hungry!

Despite this fact, the first one to finish their meal was Paku. With a short "thanks" she stood up, making a show of stretching her long limbs.

"Finish up soon, Rukia," she said with a tilt of her head. "I want to have enough time to go and visit Renji after I beat you again."

Rukia's grip on her spoon tightened considerably, enough to where she heard Tessai let out a sigh when it bent and groaned under the pressure.

She scarfed down the last of her omelet, having half a mind to chase after the Mod Soul and wipe that smirk on her face. She might have if it weren't for the black cat that slinked up next to her to rub against her leg.

"Yoruichi?" she asked, reaching down to scratch the creature between the ears.

"The one and only," the cat purred out.

"You're late," said Tessai with a frown. Still, he put down a cat-sized Omurice on a saucer in front of him.

"I was busy. That Renji boy is relentless." The cat then took a dainty bite of the omelet, eyes sparkling.

"Renji's been with you?" Rukia asked. Yoruichi nodded.

"I've been training with him for these last few days. That reminds me, how has your training been going, Rukia?"

Kukaku answered for the girl, "She's got her powers back, so not bad, but she just got her ass kicked by the Mod Soul." From the way the woman said it, Rukia could tell that she found it all very funny. Rukia did not. She continued to pet Yoruichi in an attempt to keep her frustrations to a minimum.

"That smug girl I just walked past?" Yoruichi asked with a scoff.

"Yep!" Kukaku said with a grin.

"Well," Yoruichi started with a cock of his head, "at least I know why you ordered that special Gigai, now." Suddenly, the cat yelped, flinching back from Rukia. She jerked her hand back immediately. "Gentle, gentle," Yoruichi scolded.

"Sorry!" Rukia felt her cheeks heat up. She didn't mean to hurt the cat! She folded her hands in her lap after that. Yoruichi stared up at the girl, contemplating.

The cat stood up. "Come on, Rukia. Walk with me."

With a frown and a quick glance Kukaku's way (the woman just shrugged, unsure) she got up, following the tiny form through the shop's quiet hallways and to the dusty front lawn. Yoruichi stopped at the edge of the concrete, facing Rukia.

"Why did you lose?" he asked bluntly.

Rukia struggled for a moment. There were more than a few reasons, really. Paku was too fast, her Zanpakuto was too damaged, and she was too tired. In the end, though, it all boiled down to one undeniable fact. "I couldn't catch her."

"And how did you try to catch her?"

"By chasing after her." Rukia bit her lip, self-conscious.

"So, you tried chasing after a Mod Soul with Super-Speed?" Yoruichi said, laughter bubbling under the words.

Well, when you put it that way, what Rukia was doing earlier seemed pretty stupid, didn't it? Rukia stared down at her feet. Yoruichi sighed.

"Rukia, sometimes simply 'powering through' works, but I promise that works for people that aren't you. Not in fights like these, and not in the fights you'll be facing in the near future."

"I know," she said firmly. She clocked in at 143 centimeters tall. Brute strength just didn't work for someone like her, and she'd known this for a while.

"You know this person. There has to be something you can exploit, here, some advantage you have."

"She was being pretty arrogant," Rukia tried with a scoff.

"That's something," Yoruichi agreed, "but rely on that alone, and all you're doing it waiting for her to make a mistake. Being passive like that in a battle is a good way to get yourself killed. Do you have anything else?"

Rukia thought about it for a moment. Paku had plenty of flaws to exploit, but when she wanted something she wanted it, and there was little that could get in her way, whether it was destroying a Hollow, defeating Rukia, or ogling the Swim Team.

 _Wait._

"I think I have something."

"Rukia!" called Kukaku from inside the shop. "We need to get going!"

"Coming Auntie!" Rukia called back. She got up quickly, rushing out a thank you to Yoruichi before hurrying back to the training center in a blur. Kukaku and Paku were already waiting for her.

"You sure look excited," Paku said. "That happy to get beaten up again?"

"Something like that," said Rukia.

"Begin!" Kukaku called.

Paku ran in with the same jump kick she had before, Rukia ducking down low, Paku passing harmlessly overhead. The Mod Soul skidded to a stop in the sand spinning around to kick Rukia's back. The Substitute wasn't able to dodge this one, and she went sprawling onto the ground.

It didn't matter.

"You're doing a _little_ better, at least," Paku said snidely. "Who knows, you may be able to beat me if you keep this up for another year." Rukia let out a despairing sigh, fake.

"At least," she said sadly, really trying to ham up her performance, " _He'll_ be able to comfort me afterward."

"That's right," Paku said with a smirk. Then, she realized exactly what Rukia said. "Wait, 'he'?!"

"Yeah…" Rukia said with a tilt of her head. "Renji." Paku's eyes widened. She paled, swaying on her feet. Rukia took that as an opportunity to get up, approaching Paku and coming in close. "We've been dating for a while. Didn't you know?"

Paku sputtered, "H-how? You! Him!"

"Aww, you didn't know?" Rukia said, sympathy in her voice. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get the next one." She punctuated this by punching Paku lightly on the shoulder in a "friendly" gesture.

"And the fight is over!" Kukaku yelled out.

"Wait, what?!" Paku had her hands in her hair. She was horribly confused.

"I landed a hit," Rukia said with a raised eyebrow. She punched Paku lightly in the arm again. "Remember?"

"B-but you didn't even draw your Zanpakuto."

"Technically, she didn't have to," Kukaku admitted. Paku's muttered to herself, still processing.

"T-then the thing you said about you and Renji, that was a lie?" she asked, laughing nervously. The laughing became slightly crazed when Rukia just shrugged her shoulders.

There might not have been anything going on between the two of them, but she was willing to tell a little white lie if it meant that Paku might stop harassing him all the time.

"With that, I think we can call it a day," Kukaku said, clapping Rukia on the shoulder. "You're gonna need all the energy you can get to survive tomorrow's fight."

Kukaku said this with a smirk, one that made Rukia even more nervous at the ominous words.

"And who am I fighting?" Rukia asked. Kukaku just smiled wider. Rukia gulped. She was starting to get a pretty good idea.

 _Day 5_

As expected, Rukia didn't sleep much that night. She wasn't sure if it was nervousness, excitement, or some combination of both that kept her up, but it did its job well.

It could have been that tiny bit of doubt as to who she was fighting. (Not that Kukaku could have been more obvious.)

Any doubts that Rukia may have had about that last one were dashed when she met Kukaku in the training center. The first thing the woman did was draw her wakizashi from the sheath on her stump.

"You ready, shrimp?"

 _As ready as I'll ever be_. Rukia gave a single nod.

"Now, this ain't like your fight with Paku," Kukaku said with a smirk. "I don't expect you to land a hit on me for at least another century, so this fight is over when I say it's over, 'kay?"

Rukia gulped, drawing her Zanpakuto. "Got it."

She had to remind herself that she had managed to beat Paku, even when the odds were against her. She could do this.

"One more thing," Kukaku said. Rukia paused, and the next words sent a shiver down her spine. "Aim to kill." Kukaku said this in her usual joking tone, but there was something underneath that Rukia couldn't quite place, something that made Rukia take the statement quite seriously.

Kukaku didn't start the fight with a "Begin!" or give any other hints as to when they were starting. She just attacked, charging in an instant, brining her wakizashi down hard on Rukia.

Rukia brought up her Zanpakuto, this time remembering to compensate for the missing length. Kukaku wasted no time in breaking away to strike again, a strike that Rukia dodged and met with her own.

This started a sort of rhythm of strikes, dodges, and guards, one that felt much more two-sided than Rukia's fight against Paku, but one that she knew was much more one-sided that Kukaku was letting on.

What gave it away was Kukaku own moves. She never had any trouble blocking or dodging Rukia's strikes. She would dodge each using obvious movements, as if giving a demonstration of how it was to be done, before attacking again only a little harder than the attack before. Rukia wasn't sure if she was to be happy at the obvious lesson (one that she definitely needed) or discouraged at the obvious power gap.

The rhythm was broken when Kukaku sliced Rukia's cheek open with a stab that barely went short of shearing off her entire ear. Rukia stumbled back hitting a rock wall. She had to roll out of the way to avoid getting skewered, hitting the ground hard.

Kukaku was at the rock, trying to wrench her blade from a crevice it was stuck in. She was using her foot as leverage and seemed to be struggling. This was it. This was Rukia's chance. She picked herself off the ground and began to charge, readying for a stab. She was stopped in her tracks by the point of Kukaku's wakizashi. It was a hairs breadth from her throat.

They both waited for a moment, simply breathing, Rukia looking up at Kukaku with wide eyes and a tight expression. Kukaku looked back down at her, amused.

"Trying to catch me while I'm distracted, huh?" The woman asked with a smile. Rukia gulped. "That's good."

The words hung in the air as Rukia waited for her Auntie to make another move, whether it be to let her go or end it right there with a quick strike. The woman did neither.

"Hadō Number One: Shō."

Energy gathered at the tip of Kukaku's blade, and before Rukia knew it, she was being pushed back by an invisible force, tumbling on the sandy ground.

She choked and coughed, bracing herself with one arm as she nursed her throat with the other. Kukaku knew Kidō. Of course, she did.

The dull clip-clop of the woman's sandals grew closer, and Rukia didn't have time to get up. Still on her knees, she guarded against Kukaku's wakizashi with her Zanpakuto, bracing it with both hands.

The pressure increased steadily, and it took Rukia a second to realize it wasn't just the pressure Kukaku was exerting on her wakizashi. The air around where their blades met was tingling with a static like energy. Rukia could taste ozone in the air as her hands shook under the force.

She watched in horror as most of what was left of her blade was cut clean off. She ducked, leaving the piece abandoned in the dust as she struggled to keep her neck intact. She got away with a nick on her shoulder.

On the ground, Rukia realized that she was playing a losing game. She was dazed and even more weaponless than she was before. She was so outclassed it was a joke. Still, she got up again, struggling to her feet as she tried to think of a different angle she could work at this from. There had to be something to exploit, to dig her nails into.

Yeah, she didn't know much about Kukaku, but there had to be something–

Kukaku knocked Rukia back on the ground with a kick to her back, giving her a face full of dust.

"You're done for now," she said. "We start again this evening." Rukia could do nothing but nod as she was left alone to pick herself up.

 _Day 6_

The evening of Day 5 came and went and during that time, Rukia had won exactly zero of the two fights she had against Kukaku. This morning's wasn't going much better.

She had barely dodged the last Kidō attack. (Judging by the scorch marks that it left on the ground, it was likely that she had barely dodged death, as well.) With an unsure grip on her barely-there Zanpakuto (All that was left was a handle and half a guard! She didn't have even an inch of blade left to attack with.), she guarded against another sweeping attack from Kukaku's wakizashi.

Relief went through her in waves when she didn't lose any more of her Zanpakuto with this move. Still, she wasn't out of trouble, yet. She felt herself being pushed back by the force, feet skidding on the ground until the heel of her foot hit a nearby rock wall. Kukaku's fierce pressure continued, pinning her down, trapping her. When she heard Kukaku utter another Kidō Spell and saw the energy gathering at the tip of her blade, mere centimeters from her face, she knew she had to get moving.

Rukia feinted left, letting Kukaku's katana slide past her, ignoring how it sliced through her own knuckles in the process. She watched as the wakizashi buried itself into the rock wall just as the spell fired within the structure.

Throwing her arms over her head immediately, Rukia squinted through the dust that filled the air. It was impossible to tell where she was, where she was going, but she could hear Kukaku's loudly cursing voice, and for now, that was enough.

She had to get away.

Rukia half crawled, going as fast as she dared in the haze to, and she didn't want to admit it, hide. She had to get her bearings, she had to figure something out, anyth–

As her foot hit thin air, Rukia held back a scream of surprise. Before she knew it, she was slipping down a ravine and had hit the ground hard.

"Ow…" she muttered to herself, flat on her back. She cracked her eyes open against the pain.

The ravine was little more than a crack in the ground, just wide enough for her to turn around in, and about twice her height. It was dark enough that perhaps Kukaku wouldn't notice her upon first glance. She could only hope.

"Why are you running?" Rukia zipped up to her feet, alert at the new voice, and suddenly sure that Kukaku had found her much earlier than expected. The person down in the ravine with Rukia wasn't Kukaku.

In front of a pile of rocks just large enough to assist Rukia in any quick escape, should the need arise, was the _Woman_. It was her Zanpakuto, looking as pristine as ever, even in this dirty crevice that left Rukia covered in dust and grime. (That might have just been due to the rough fights, though.)

"I don't really have a choice," Rukia whispered to her. "Fighting her isn't exactly working."

Her Zanpakuto scoffed, and with an upturned nose said, "Fighting? Please, you haven't been fighting her. You've been cowering. It's starting to make me question why I ever gave you my power in the first place." Rukia's teeth grit in anger.

"I'm sorry I haven't been up to your _standards_ , but if you haven't noticed, I don't have much to work with, here!" She held up her own blade to emphasize the point. (Well, it wasn't much of a blade anymore, was it?) Her Zanpakuto simply rolled her eyes in response.

"You have the power to get it back," she explained slowly, annoyance dripping into her voice. "Why haven't you used it?" She began approaching Rukia, menacing, but Rukia wasn't one to back down. She instead stood up straight, challenging.

"You haven't told me how. Hell, you haven't even mentioned it until now!"

The woman looked borderline furious when she hissed out, "My name. You know it. Why haven't you said it?"

The question sent all the air rushing out of Rukia's lungs. Her name? Had she heard her Zanpakuto's name? Thinking back on it, she wasn't entirely sure. It was like she had forgotten the name of a classmate, and that it was just on the tip of her tongue. Still…

"You haven't told me your name," Rukia said.

"I shouldn't have to!"

Rukia took a step back. "I can't just say I name that I haven't heard." The step was taken just a second too late. The Woman took Rukia by the shoulders in a bruising grip.

 _"You frustrating child!"_

Her face was filled with fury in a way that Rukia had never really seen on a person before, and the teenager couldn't really help it when she shrunk away trying to break free from the suddenly oppressive atmosphere. The air turned sour, rocks at their feet began to shake, and the perfect whites of her Zanpakuto's eyes filled with black. White material ( _bone-white_ ) started forming around the edges of her face in the beginnings of a mask.

 _"You already know it!"_ A clawed hand raised above Rukia's head.

What the Woman would have done next, Rukia didn't know and she never would. Kukaku had come down the rocky path, and just as it looked like she was going to run headlong first into the Woman, her Zanpakuto vanished into mist.

Rukia wasted no time in moving after that, as frazzled as she was. She jumped up to the mouth of the ravine and onto the ground. She started running.

"Seriously, Rukia?" Kukaku called after her. "This is just getting sad."

Biting back a response, Rukia decided to save her breath. She continued running, trying to find another escape, another hiding spot. She still hadn't come up with a plan!

Kukaku appeared in front of her so quickly, it would have made Paku jealous. She attacked immediately.

By now, Rukia was used to her Auntie's onslaught. She knew what to expect and how to dodge in a way that assured survival. Honestly, she was getting pretty good at it.

"You can't stay on defense forever, kiddo," Kukaku said, right before a particularly strong strike. A quick step right meant it only impacted with a boulder, luckily. (Though not for the boulder. It now had cracks running all along it.)

Half a moment later, Rukia was sent flying back by a Kidō spell. She didn't hear the incantation, she wasn't even sure if there was one. There was just a light, a force, and she was suddenly on her back. It took a moment for her blurred vision to clear, and when it did, it was the Woman standing over her, not Kukaku.

"Say my name."

"I can't," Rukia groaned through gritted teeth. She hadn't heard it and hadn't any clues to figure it out. The task was impossible. The woman's pretty face wrenched into something hateful.

"My name is not some riddle to be solved, _girl_. You cannot figure your way to it."

"Then what–" Rukia was cut off by Kukaku stabbing down and through the disapparating body of her Zanpakuto. She rolled out of the way and to her feet just in time. When she arose, the woman was standing again in the exact same spot, mere steps behind Kukaku.

"******. Just say it, ******," the Woman said. Rukia stared at her blankly. Were those supposed to be words?

Kukaku took that as an opportunity to fire another Kidō, though this one, Rukia could already tell packed much more of a punch. Lightning danced along Kukaku's blade, and Rukia had barely enough time to jump on top of the already Kidō damaged boulder to avoid it. Beneath her feet it cracked further, chunks falling off. Rukia jumped before it had the chance to crumble completely. She fell behind it, and the Woman was there to greet her.

"******. ******!" The Woman was moving her mouth but no sounds were coming, or what was coming sounded distant, like she was underwater.

"I can't hear you!" Rukia cried out.

"Then you must be as deaf as you are stupid!" the Woman hissed. "I said, my name is ******."

Hearing it again, Rukia corrected herself. It wasn't as if the words were being spoken underwater. It was more like the second the syllables were uttered, they were falling out of her head, forgotten. The boulder broke.

The flash of a Kidō spell went overhead as Rukia pressed herself into the ground to avoid the brunt of it. She scrambled up to her feet as quickly as possible.

Through the dusty remains of the boulder, Kukaku walked, coming quietly to a stop directly in front of Rukia. The humor in her eyes was gone as she slowly raised her wakizashi, and Rukia felt her own heart sink. Kukaku wasn't letting up today. She wasn't interested in lessons or going easy. She was being downright relentless, leaving Rukia wondering if she would even make it out of this training alive.

Maybe, Rukia thought, that was Kukaku's plan all along, to kill her here to avenge her nephew. It wasn't like she would blame the woman for wanting to do such a thing.

But, it wasn't like she was just going to die here, either.

The Woman was still standing there, upright and immaculate as she looked upon Rukia with disdain. She was saying something, something that Rukia couldn't hear or couldn't remember, she wasn't sure which, anymore. Then again, it probably didn't matter.

 _No, it didn't matter._

She looked down at her blade-less katana and took a deep breath. She decided to let go. She didn't watch Kukaku bring down her katana, didn't look for her Zanpakuto's lip movements to try and read them. She just closed her eyes, stopped hearing, and decided to listen.

 _"Sode no Shirayuki."_

"Sode no Shirayuki!"

For a second, Rukia didn't hear anything after her own resounding exclamation, but in that second, every other sense went into overdrive. She felt every divot and peak in the handle of her Zanpakuto (it felt much different than usual), she tasted the air, buzzing with energy, and she saw Kukaku, fingertips smoking, hand held out in front of her. Her arm and the left side of her cloak were frosted over. The arena around her was covered in ice.

Rukia looked down at her Zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki, and saw it, whole, and even better than before. It was much smaller now, the size of a standard katana, and it was pure as pure white as the Woman herself, with a delicate ribbon trailing the handle. It radiated a light cold that made it fit comfortably in her hands.

"I think we'll call that a day," Kukaku said, smile back on her face, though it was shaky. She was concealing a shiver as she sheathed her wakizashi, subtly pulling her cloak around her shoulders a little tighter. Still, her smile was genuine, and it was infectious.

Rukia smiled, too, as she stared down at Sode no Shirayuki, feeling an exhilaration that she couldn't quite put into words.

When Kukaku said, "We'll start again tomorrow," Rukia couldn't have been happier.

 _Day 7_

By the start of Day 7, Rukia's excitement had not died down. Climbing the unreasonably long ladder to the training center, she felt the same mixture of elation and nerves that she had then, and when she touched down on the ground, she knew she was ready for whatever fight Kukaku had planned.

"You're up bright and early!" her Auntie said with a grin. Rukia flashed a grin of her own back.

"I knew we'd have a lot of work to do today. I wanted to get an early start."

"Good instincts," Kukaku commented, rocking back on her heels. "Today ain't gonna be easy." As she said this, she drew her wakizashi.

Rukia drew her own Zanpakuto in preparation, not ready to wait and be attacked this time. Her feet shifted into a fighting stance, and she steeled herself for the spar ahead. She was taken severely off guard when Kukaku simply sat down cross legged on the sand, motioning with a hand for Rukia to join her. She set her wakizashi across her lap.

"I-I don't understand," Rukia said. Kukaku snorted.

"Just like you young people to think fighting's all there is to being a Shinigami. Sit down, runt."

Bristling slightly at the knock on her height, Rukia nodded stiffly before sitting down, following Kukaku's example by laying Sode no Shirayuki across her lap. She kept her back perfectly straight as she obediently waited further instruction. Kukaku looked pleased.

The woman continued, "Like I said, not everything it about fighting. The only thing that's really going to make you stronger is proper communication with your Zanpakuto."

Rukia thought back briefly to the few times she'd spoken with Sode no Shirayuki. Even in the beginning, before her Inner World's destruction, when she had seemed much gentler, she was never…nice, exactly. In fact, the Zanpakuto never seemed like she wanted to talk, even when she was actively speaking with Rukia.

The Substitute said with a tight expression, "I'm not sure if that's possible. My Zanpakuto doesn't seem like the 'chatty' type."

Kukaku whistled, though the way it came out, it was more like a sigh of sympathy.

"You've got one of those, huh?" she asked, eyebrow quirked. "It's frustrating, but not getting along with your Zanpakuto's pretty common. More the reason for you two to get on speaking terms."

Rukia wanted to say something in protest, but the words died in her throat. Kukaku had been doing so well with her training so far, who was she to question the woman?

"How to I do this?"

The explanation that Kukaku gave wasn't very concise, but it got the idea across. They were currently sitting in a traditional position for this lesson, but apparently that didn't really matter. All Rukia needed to do was to reach out with her Soul and give Sode no Shirayuki a little nudge, as if she were waking her from a light sleep. When Rukia asked what to do if the Zanpakuto simply refused to respond, she got first a bark of laughter, and then a real answer.

"Trust me. Now that you've got your Shikai, she can't ignore you any better than you can ignore her."

Considering how hard it was to ignore Sode when _she_ decided to talk, Rukia decided this would do. Still, she had one more question.

"When I get there…what do I say?"

Kukaku paused for a moment, brows furrowed as she considered before saying, "If she's as aggressive as you've been making her out to be, you really should just get to the point. Tell her what you need. You've already gotten Shikai, so you must be doing something right without my help."

Rukia nodded, trying to conceal a blush at the complement. "That's about what I was thinking." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

She took a moment to just breath in slowly, to exhale in a slow hiss, and then she gave a firm _nudge_. When she felt the ice of the lake beneath her almost immediately, it was surprising.

"Why have you come here?" Sode asked.

Rukia glanced around for a moment, looking for the Spirit. She ended up finding her in the same place that she did before, in her reflection in the ice.

Sode was standing up, proud as ever, and looking directly at Rukia with no small amount of condescension.

"I need to talk to you," Rukia led with.

"Oh," Sode sounded, feigning curiosity. "About what?"

"I…" Rukia began to stumble. Even as a reflection, Sode no Shirayuki gave off a ridiculous pressure, and her callousness was difficult to deal with. She settled on a canned line. "We need to be able to communicate if we want to get any stronger."

"'We?'" Sode barked out the word, like it left a bitter taste in her mouth. "Child, I am already strong. I'm not the one coming to you, begging for power." Her eyes narrowed into slits. "'We.' Don't make me laugh."

Rukia took a deep breath, suddenly very aware of her sitting position. She took a moment to stand up before continuing.

"I want–" she's cut off before she even has the chance to finish her thought.

 _"I do not care what you want."_ Great, Rukia could already see her sclera turning black. She was getting nowhere, fast. _"Leave me."_

Still, she tried to save the situation, biting out desperately, "Wait, you don't understand–"

 _"I said leave me!"_ As Sode said this, she arched her hand outwards in a violent motion, causing Rukia to flinch back in preparation for some kind of attack. Sadly, an ice-covered lake wasn't a good place to be stumbling back. Her heel caught on slick ice, and she went tumbling. The moment her back hit the ground, she was at the training area with Kukaku.

"That was short," Kukaku said with a furrowed brow. Rukia let out a deep sigh, dragging herself back up into a sitting position. She eyed her Zanpakuto, lying on the dusty ground, and after a moment of hesitation, picked it up again.

"She kicked me out," Rukia eventually muttered. Kukaku looked genuinely troubled when she heard this, eyebrows shooting up.

Still, all she said was, "Harsh." Rukia just nodded in agreement.

Rukia could feel her grip on her Zanpakuto increase to bruising levels as she felt her frustration rise. She replayed the order of events in her head, tried to think of what she could have done differently, and just came out of the consideration _mad_. She didn't think she had ever met someone as rude, prideful, or hateful as Sode no Shirayuki.

 _Or as terrifying._

Rukia said with a frown, "It couldn't have been this difficult when you started out with your Zanpakuto, Auntie…right?"

"Honestly," Kukaku said with a shrug, "it wasn't."

Rukia's frown deepened at the lack of encouragement, but when she was about to say something else, probably something sarcastic, she noticed that Kukaku had a certain look about her now, one that Rukia wasn't familiar with. She had a faraway look in her eyes, one nearly unreadable, but decidedly _sad_.

Kukaku continued, "I mean, he was an idiot, he could be as difficult as hell, and more than not was just a huge pain in my ass, but," she lingered on the word, seemed too have to swallow it before continuing, "he loved it when we'd reach a new milestone, always celebrated when we'd get a little bit stronger. Everything was just one big adventure to him."

Rukia had heard that kind of love from Kukaku before. It was when she was talking about her family.

Eventually, Rukia got up the courage to ask, "Is that him?" gesturing to Kukaku's wakizashi. The woman shook her head.

"This was just what they could find of him. He's been gone for a long time, kiddo."

Something cold settled in Rukia's stomach at that. She had never lost someone before, not anyone important, so she didn't really know what to say. An "I'm sorry" died on her lips, and she felt guiltily relieved when Kukaku began smiling again. It was a little strained but still honest.

"I made peace with it a while ago." The words hung in the air.

Rukia breathed in and out for a moment, nodding.

"I should try again," she eventually said, eyes down to Sode no Shirayuki. "Maybe we'll be able to work something out.

"You probably shouldn't," Kukaku suggested. "Once a Zanpakuto decides they're done talking, it's best if you let 'em breathe for a bit."

Rukia felt her heart sink a slightly at that, but she nodded, following Kukaku when the woman stood up, stretching her muscles and rolling her shoulders.

Kukaku turned to Rukia, saying, "I was actually thinking we could have a good ol' fashioned spar. I can't have you getting flabby on me."

Her Auntie brandished her wakizashi, the remnants of a nameless Zanpakuto that once meant the world to her. Rukia got up and faced her with her own stubborn Zanpakuto and wondered if one day she'd feel the same love for Sode no Shirayuki that Kukaku felt for her own Zanpakuto Spirit. She doubted it.

Rukia charged first.

 _Day 8_

When Rukia got up on the morning of Day 8, the sun was just barely peaking over the horizon, and as far as she could tell, the shop turned home was completely silent. This was good. She'd need this window of time, this window of quiet for what she was planning.

Rukia grabbed her Zanpakuto from where it rested at the head of her futon. It was still as pure white as it was when she first activated it and hadn't shown any signs of turning back.

In the back of her mind, Rukia realized that this wasn't normal. Tatsuki, she remembered, had her Zanpakuto in a sealed state at the beginning of her fight. She had to activate her Shikai manually. Rukia knew that this difference should have worried her, or at least caused some mild concern, but reasoned that if Kukaku didn't think to mention it, then she shouldn't spend any time fretting over it. Sparing a second glance at the frost shadow left by her Zanpakuto, Rukia turned her attention back on the blade itself.

This was her main concern, today. Kukaku may not have said it directly, but Rukia had figured that if she couldn't reach some kind of agreement with Sode no Shirayuki she could kiss her chances of going to the Soul Society and _not dying_ goodbye. (And, well, if she died, she couldn't exactly rescue Ichigo, could she?) Her and her Zanpakuto needed to talk, and this time, Rukia would make her Sode listen. How she would exactly was a difficult question to answer, but she had an idea or two.

Rukia unsheathed the blade. Sitting down cross legged on her borrowed futon, she placed the sword across her lap, just like Kukaku showed her. Laying her hands carefully on it, letting the cold sink into her skin, she began to focus, and with her Soul, began to push. Again, the result was instantaneous.

The sight of the frozen lake was becoming very familiar to Rukia, just like her new reflection.

"You're back soon," Sode muttered. "Why?"

Rukia decided to start with method number one. (It would be odd to start with anything else, after all.)

"I need more power," she said. It was a simple statement, an honest one. "I want to be able to save my friend, and as I am now, I'd probably fail."

Method number one hinged on a single idea: that Sode no Shirayuki wasn't as heartless as she made herself out to be.

Sode frowned at Rukia before turning her back. It wasn't a "no" per say, so Rukia decided to continue.

"And if I can't go and help him, he'll die. I can't let that happen."

For a moment, Sode didn't answer her. She just stood there motionless, back turned. When she finally spoke again, it was quiet and sharp, like an icy breeze.

"You seem so sure," she said. "Do you really believe that you alone are the difference between life and death for this friend of yours? Are you truly so arrogant?"

The question had Rukia biting her lip, unsure, because no, she wasn't sure at all. Maybe it was arrogant of her, the idea that she had internalized, that if she didn't personally go to help Ichigo his blood would be on her hands. Then again, she didn't really care.

She answered, "All I know is that if I don't at least try, I will never forgive myself, and if he doesn't make it, then…I'm not sure what I would do."

"You have yet to convince me, child." Sode looked over her shoulder to look Rukia in the eye, and Rukia felt the temperature in the air drop at least a couple of degrees.

Still, she was getting a response, now. Maybe her hypothesis was right. Maybe Sode wasn't completely heartless. That being said, it was clear that this wasn't enough.

It was time for method number two.

"Then what about," Rukia began, choosing her words carefully for what would be the largest bluff of her young life, "how you belong to me."

Sode looked almost startled by this. Her back went ramrod straight, her jaw tightened, and she didn't even say anything back. Rukia decided to continue.

"You came from my Soul, right? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even exist." As she went on, her words filled with more steel. Perhaps she was channeling her older brother, here, but her confidence swelled. "You will do what I say because I said it, understand?"

Rukia wasn't sure what to expect in response. It was possible that Sode would burst out laughing at such a challenge. She would probably call her a fool and kick her out, just like she did last time.

Instead, Sode no Shirayuki just looked at her, shell shocked. After a moment of long silence, though, she cracked a smile.

"Technically," the spirit began, "you are right. It doesn't quite work that way, however."

With the words came disappointment, but it didn't look like she was about to be kicked out, at least. Sode was smiling, and she never did that. The woman continued, looking carefully at her wielder.

"You stood up to me. For the first time, you show me true promise."

"Then you are going to show me more?" Rukia rushed out. At that, Sode's smile dropped and she levelled a glare at the girl. Rukia shut her mouth immediately.

Sode continued calmly after that, "Your Shikai has five hidden abilities. For now, I will teach you two. You are ready for that much, and it should suffice for your journey ahead, provided you don't pick any fights above your station."

Rukia finally stood up saying, "I'm ready. What should we start with?"

"Now is not the time," she said carefully, annoyance flashing back onto her face. "You will come back tomorrow to receive your training. For now, return to the outer world."

Of course, Rukia wasn't satisfied at that. She had questions to ask, things to say, but she decided against voicing any of them. She simply nodded.

Sode added as an afterthought, "Oh, and please learn to seal your Shikai. Nothing is quite as unsightly as someone who flaunts their power like some kind of beast." Rukia noted that in her head. "If that is all, then I suppose this is goodbye, child."

"Thank you." Rukia didn't even know why she said it. It rushed out of her, automatically. She almost wished she could take it back.

Sode didn't answer her. She didn't even indicate that she had heard Rukia. She just turned away and began walking. Rukia could only watch as the ice began to cloud over again.

Soon, she was back in the outer world. Her reentry somehow felt much less violent than last time.

Looking out of the window, she saw that little time had passed. The sun was above the horizon now, but it was still clearly early. Kukaku probably wasn't even up yet. Nevertheless, Rukia decided that she couldn't waste any time lazing about in the morning. She ran down to the training area as quietly as possible and began practicing by herself.

 _Day 9_

Rukia went back to her Inner World early the next day, and for once, she didn't feel nervous or unsure. For once she knew what she was getting upon entry, and for once that thing was something to be excited about.

Entering it felt much smoother this time around. Though she didn't notice any resistance before, the ease that she felt now proved that there was some, that Sode probably didn't want to see her before, but simply had no choice. Now, it was like she was being invited in.

"You finally learned how to seal your Shikai," Sode led with. "Good."

Rukia got to her feet, brushing off bits of ice stuck to her hakama as she examined her Zanpakuto. The Spirit's arms were delicately crossed, her expression guarded. She looked back at Rukia carefully, searching for something, though Rukia wasn't sure what.

The substitute said, without hesitation, "I asked Auntie to teach me how after you suggested it. She seemed pretty thrilled about the idea, actually. She said it would teach me control, and that I was probably wasting a ton of energy maintaining my Shikai, anyway."

Sode nodded, saying, "I honestly find it impressive that you were able to maintain it for as long as you had."

It took Rukia a moment to process her Zanpakuto's words. Had the Spirit just…complemented her?

"Are you ready for your lessons, child?" Sode no Shirayuki asked.

Rukia swallowed, blinking for a moment before finally answering with, "Yeah…I mean, yes, I am."

After her answer, Sode wasted no time in proceeding. She held out a well-manicured hand, and Rukia watched as a thick mist gathered around it, taking form and congealing until it fully solidified into an identical copy of her Shikai. (Rukia tried not to think of how odd it was that her Zanpakuto was wielding herself.)

Sode faced her, then, brandishing her sword. "Activate your Shikai so we may begin," she commanded.

Rukia nodded, staring down at her own hand for a moment. She wasn't entirely sure how she was supposed to summon her Shikai out of thin air, but she knew that she didn't want to show that kind of weakness in front of Sode no Shirayuki. She decided to do it just as Kukaku had showed her and hoped that even without her actual Zanpakuto in her hands, the result would be the same. She held her open hand out in front of her.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" she yelled. Then, as if she had the sword with her, she turned her hand counterclockwise. It manifested mid-turn.

Sode looked at her with hooded eyes, face not betraying a single thing. She said derisively, "I'm surprised you didn't need me to hold your hand through that lesson."

There it was, the antagonism that Rukia had come to expect from her Zanpakuto. She was almost relieved, though the comment made her wilt slightly.

With little warning or introduction, Sode said, "First Dance, White Moon." She drew a careful circle in the ice, etching it in on her own side of the mirror-like lake.

Reishi gathered at that point immediately, and Rukia had barely any time to stumble away from the circle. On "Rukia's side" of the ice, the ground lightly glowed and the air above it became an intense kind of cold, the likes of which she'd never felt before.

The light, the energy, Rukia thought there was something so beautiful about it. It was radiant, powerful, and seemed almost delicate, not unlike the Spirit herself. It was this awe mixed with a youthful sense of curiosity that made her reach a hand forward.

"Do not touch it." Sode no Shirayuki's voice rang out loud and clear. Rukia's hand immediately recoiled. "Everything that enters the pillar will freeze and shatter." Rukia held her hand tighter to her chest, nodding.

So, this was the type of power she had? It was a little terrifying, actually. Before her, the pillar dissipated, leaving nothing but clear air and a lingering chill.

"Try it for yourself," Sode said.

Rukia brought her own Shikai in front of her, and with some hesitation, followed Sode's movements.

"This attack is one that can be difficult to use effectively. Use it carefully and perhaps this will prove not to be waste of my time."

Biting back a retort, Rukia tried to stew over the useful parts of Sode's statement. This attack seemed to have a pretty limited range, which would normally mean that all it would take is the right strategy to make it work, but in this case…Strategy just didn't seem like Sode's style.

"The second dance is called 'White Ripple,'" Sode continued. "This one is much simpler."

Sode turned and demonstrated the moves, puncturing the ice four times in front of her. Her motions were fast and precise yet graceful. They were like, well, a "dance." She finished it off by getting into a striking stance, pointing the blade at an invisible enemy. Just at its tip, Reishi began gathering in concentrated amounts.

"Next Dance, White Ripple." She swung the sword in a wide arc, and the energy released. Just like before, the attack appeared on Rukia's side of the ice.

The blast ripped past Rukia like a gust of icy wind. It was intense to say the least.

"It holds less power than the First Dance," Sode continued, "but it more than makes up for it in versatility. At its most powerful, it will encase your target in ice, leaving them vulnerable. It is an effective means for trapping or injuring, but should the ice shatter, it's doubtful they would survive."

"I understand."

Rukia was asked again to recreate the attack, and she did so with ease, the idea of having these very lethal attacks in her arsenal only now sinking in.

She remembered standing over Tatsuki's defeated form, ready to deal the final blow before being stopped by force. A part of her was concerned. A larger part remembered that now wasn't the time to be fretting over such things.

"That is all I will be teaching you today," Sode said. She released her copy of the Shikai, letting it dissolve back into mist. "You may leave now." She started walking away, into the foggier areas of the ice, out of Rukia's sight.

A beat passed, and Rukia's feet took a hesitant step forward. Her Zanpakuto had actually helped her today, and it just wouldn't feel right to leave without saying a word.

"Thank you," she said quietly. For a second Rukia thought she'd get the same cold shoulder that she did last time. She wouldn't have even minded really, she'd be expecting it, at least.

Sode feet paused. Her trailing dress stopped moving, but that was all Rukia could see. Her Zanpakuto's face was hidden from her. After a second, Sode kept moving away.

Rukia let the connection dissipate.

 _Day 10_

It was Day 10.

Rukia couldn't really believe it, but it was Day 10.

She trudged back to her temporary room at the end of the day, her hair still damp from her shower. For what felt like the first time in forever, it was dust and dirt free.

Laying flat on the futon, she let it really sink in that she had just done it. She had completed her last day of training. Tomorrow she was going to invade the Soul Society and stage a rescue mission, the likes of which she'd only ever seen in the movies Renji liked to show her.

She felt steady, alert, and prepared. All that was left was to get a good night's sleep. (If it was good practice to get good sleep before a test, then getting good sleep before a life-changing rescue mission had to be at least ten times more important.)

This was the root of her current problem.

Rukia sat up in the futon, realizing for the first time that she was wide awake. In fact, she was downright restless. It was like her body was still waiting for another lesson, for some new small piece of wisdom, or another spar. Rukia worried her lip.

Maybe there was something else she could do? There was always the training area. She could sneak down there and practice a move or two. No harm could come in being _over_ prepared, and her Shikai abilities could always use some work.

 _Shikai_. That just might be the answer she was looking for. Rukia reached for her sealed Zanpakuto, and as quickly as she could, entered her Inner World.

"I didn't expect to see you back so soon," Sode no Shirayuki said. Rukia silently agreed.

She took a deep breath before coming out with it. "Tomorrow is when I leave for the Soul Society,–"

"I am aware."

"–and I was wondering if there was something else you could show me."

Sode quirked an eyebrow. "You would like my help again."

Rukia nodded resolutely. Sode's lips pursed.

"I cannot teach you any more of the dances for now," she explained. "You are simply not ready, but I suppose…" She trailed off.

"Anything would help," Rukia insisted. Sode shot her a glare for the interruption, but this time, Rukia wasn't backing down.

"Well, I suppose I could test your abilities," Sode said with a frown.

"You mean a spar?"

"Yes, I mean a spar. Do you accept?"

Rukia wanted to, but she wasn't even sure how such a fight would work. The two couldn't even touch each other here. Still, she found herself saying, "I do."

With that, Sode crouched down to the surface of the ice, coming in close. Her small hands pressed against it, and small cracks began to appear where she applied the pressure. The cracks widened and deepened until eventually, the ice broke entirely. Rukia stumbled back almost by instinct, hoping that this fight didn't involve getting dunked in the frozen lake yet again, but the cracks remained contained.

Rukia watches, mesmerized as Sode's hand began to rise through the broken pieces.

The woman crawled slowly out of the lake, as if weighed down (probably by her heavy silks, though they didn't seem water-logged at all.) Rukia would have helped her, if she was sure that the woman wouldn't take it as some great insult. After a moment she rose fully on now solid ice and faced Rukia. Sode summoned her Shikai. Rukia did the same.

"Are you ready?" Sode asked calmly.

Rukia began to answer, but the words ended up coming out as a choked and stuttered mess as she quickly brought up her Zanpakuto to guard against…her Zanpakuto.

Sode didn't start with an ability, or with some kind of special technique. She simply charged, easily as aggressive as Kukaku. Rukia's arms almost trembled against the weight.

Rukia tried to push back, to put enough pressure on some weak point and break this deadlock, but Sode was steadfast and rigid, not moving for anything.

It was the Spirit that ended up breaking the deadlock, stepping back barely a centimeter, making Rukia's hold loosen up just enough for her to side-step and aim an attack at her Shinigami's neck. Rukia spun around to meet the strike with her blade.

Sode immediately withdrew, jumping back some distance. It took her only a moment to prepare and fire the Second Dance, but Rukia began moving out of the way the second she saw the sword first stab into the ground. The attack grazed her arm.

A frost covered the skin on Rukia's outer arm and with it came a shooting pain. Great, it was useless, now, but there wasn't any time to linger on the it. Without hesitation she shifted her Zanpakuto to her uninjured hand. (She'd been watching Kukaku fight with only one arm for over a week now. She knew it was doable.)

As soon as she got a good hold, Rukia charged toward Sode, finally starting her own offense. She set the pace of the battle, going with quick slashes that pushed Sode steadily back. She pressed forward harder and harder, going until she was able to twist the sword right out of Sode's hand.

Rukia wasted no time after that. She began to move around Sode, drawing a circle in her path. Sode noticed. With a dive, she tripped Rukia, sending her sprawling onto the ground before gunning for her own Shikai as quickly as possible.

By the time Sode returned, Rukia was just barely getting up, an effort that she had to abort to roll out of the way of a downward stab. Three more followed after that, and when Rukia rolled onto her feet, Sode had another Second Dance ready and aimed right at Rukia.

This time, Rukia was able to dodge, avoiding any frostbite by diving fully out of the way. This moment of weakness was all Sode needed to set the battle back at her own pace.

Over the steadily increasing number of fights Rukia had, she found that most of her opponents liked talking a lot. They always seemed to have some kind of jab to give, some kind of banter to exchange. Sode no Shirayuki wasn't like that. When Sode fought, she was silent, not even making a sound when Rukia managed to land a lucky hit, grazing her forearm. Still, her movements spoke volumes.

She moved with an aggression, precise strikes turning more violent as the look in her eyes became wilder by the moment. Something was wrong, and when Rukia saw black start to inch into Sode's white eyes, she started to get an idea about what that was.

When Sode aimed another Second Dance at her, Rukia, in the heat of the moment, decided to counter with one of her own. (Perhaps she just wanted the fight to end, so she decided to try something drastic? Perhaps this…thing…was getting to her. She wasn't sure.) Two echoing voices yelled out "Next Dance, White Ripple," and two attacks met each other mid-way.

Rukia's good arm came up to cover her face at the burst of freezing air that spread through the entire arena. Mist covered the area, practically blinding her. During these moments, no one moved. No one attacked, and no footsteps sounded. When the mist finally cleared, Rukia could see the results of their combined attacks.

Before Rukia stood a wall of ice, radiating cold and shaped like a crashing wave, perfectly still in front of her. It was much closer than she had realized.

 _SMASH!_

Sode crashed through the wall with an ear-piercing sound, utterly shattering it, Rukia moving back just in time to avoid getting bludgeoned by the debris.

Panting in front of her, Rukia's Zanpakuto painted quite the terrifying picture. She stood there, pristine white interrupted by the blood running down her face from her forehead with what could only be described as a predatory look in her eyes. She attacked immediately.

Sode lunged for Rukia, shoving past broken chunks of ice, and slashing at her wildly. Rukia dodged, barely avoiding getting gutted several times, but after a moment, Sode just kind of…stopped. She stood there, panting again, eyes as wide as saucers.

Now was Rukia's chance. Even though she wasn't quite sure what was going on, she knew it was her chance. She started up a Second Dance, and just as Sode began charging again, she released it.

It was done at very close range, in the end, closer than Rukia was comfortable with, but as the mist cleared once again, Rukia realized that it had done the job. Sode was right in front of her, mid step, perfectly frozen, encased in a thick layer of ice. Her frozen blade was only centimeters from Rukia's chest. In less than a second, it disappeared entirely.

Rukia panted, as the end of the fight replayed in her head.

Sode's "breakdown" was so much worse this time than it was the last. She looked completely out of it, like she was in pain. Rukia wasn't terribly surprised of what she found when she studied Sode closer.

Her Zanpaktuo's eyes were almost completely black, the blue in the irises almost glowing. Her mask had formed enough that Rukia could recognize it. It was the same one she pulled off herself when she reemerged from the pit.

Rukia didn't know what it meant, or what it would mean that her Zanpakuto was slowly becoming a Hollow (or that she already was one), but she did know one thing. She was glad that she beat Sode when she did.

Nothing felt happy about this victory. She averted disaster. That was about it, but Rukia felt she at least had the right to feel satisfied. She completed her training. She beat her Zanpakuto.

(Her Zanpakuto that was frozen solid. Sode didn't seem worried about using lethal force before, even when she was in her right mind. She was probably alright, wasn't she?)

So, Rukia just stood there for a moment, looking at her Zanpakuto's frozen figure, and a part of her felt terrified that she was even capable of such a thing. Another part of her felt something that she couldn't quiet identify.

This is where Rukia decided to break the connection. She left her Inner World and came back into her own body. Sleep didn't come easy, but eventually, it did come.

* * *

 **Yeah, Hollowfication has made Sode no Shirayuki a little…unstable. Those of you who watched the Sword Beasts Arc will know that she's not normally like this. Also, I decided to make Kukaku a former Shinigami, here, which I don't think she was in the manga, though Kubo never did go into her backstory much. I thought that if she were to be a mentor figure to Rukia, it would be a necessary change.**

 **Favorites, Follows, and Reviews give me life.**


	15. XV: Interlude 3

**The final chapter of the arc! I hope you all enjoy. Please read the end note for info about the upcoming HIATUS.**

* * *

 _Year: 1993_

Rukia gazed up at the strange building before her. Mr. Orikasa had told her it was a shop, but honestly, it didn't look like one. It was so old and dusty Rukia would have been surprised if it had ever gotten a single customer.

Then again, the sign at the front did say "Shiba Shop", so, maybe it was one. She'd have to think about it.

Mr. Orikasa was now talking to the owner of this "shop", a woman that called herself Kukaku Shiba. Rukia thought she was even weirder than her store. She wore these skimpy bright red clothes and had this spiky hair. (And only one arm!) Rukia wasn't sure how she felt about this whole…arrangement.

"You are sure you can watch after her, right?" Mr. Orikasa asked carefully.

"Yeah, yeah, I've helped raise a few brats in my day. Don't you worry your pretty little head, Byakuya," the lady said. "Go run to your office. I've got it all handled."

Mr. Orikasa nodded, but he didn't look to happy about it. He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes the same way he had at Rukia when he found out she'd pushed another kid at school. (That jerk was asking for it in her opinion, but she said she was sorry anyway.) It took him a moment, but eventually his face softened again, and he turned to her.

"Rukia, behave while you are here. I will be back to collect you at five o'clock." Then, putting a hand on her shoulder, he said more softly, "Make sure to tell me if anything happens while you are here, understand?"

Eyeing Kukaku Shiba and the shop, Rukia gave him a firm nod. After that, the two adults exchanged words, words that Rukia weren't really paying attention to. She was too busy craning her neck to try and get a peak inside the small building. It was dark and shadowy. She clutched her Chappy doll a little tighter to her chest.

"Goodbye, Rukia," Mr. Orikasa said. He was already stepping into his car.

 _When did that happen?_

Rukia felt a little helpless waving goodbye to her new guardian. Now it was just her, this strange woman, and the shop. She tried to tell herself that she wasn't nervous. It worked, sorta.

"Hey, kid." Rukia straightened up in surprise. "You're name's Rukia, right? How old are you?"

Biting the inside of her cheek, Rukia nodded before saying, "I'm eight."

The lady hummed and said, "I saw you staring at my shop before. You curious?" Rukia shrugged in response.

"It looks weird," she said quietly. The lady barked out a laugh.

"I guess it does. You'll be disappointed when you see the inside, though. It's pretty normal." Rukia looked up at the woman then, wondering what her definition of normal would even be. The woman looked back, grinning. "Wanna take a look?"

"Yeah," she rushed out.

"Then step right up for the grand tour!" the lady exclaimed. Rukia almost shuddered. She was very loud for an adult, wasn't she?

"Tour?" she asked.

"Yeah, 'tour.' You _are_ our honored guest, Miss Rukia." She finished off with a dramatic low bow that made Rukia blush a light pink. When the lady stood up straight, she was holding out her one hand for Rukia to hold.

Still clutching her Chappy doll tightly to her chest, Rukia reached out and took it. She couldn't help but think it felt a lot like Mr. Orikasa's, calloused and a little bit rough, but warm.

Hoisted over the porch, and guided through the door, Rukia was brought into the shop. Much to her surprise, it turned out that Shiba's definition of normal was the same as anyone else's. It was a convenience store like any other with snacks, magazines, phone cards, and other very normal things. Rukia was kind of disappointed.

Behind the cash register of this store was a (relatively) normal looking man. He was probably about as tall as Mr. Orikasa but was twice as wide. He was flipping idly through a magazine when they walked in, but the second he noticed them, his eyes widened.

"That's the kid?" he asked.

"Yeah," the lady answered with a grin. "She's a cutie, isn't she?" She patted Rukia on the back, glancing down at her and asking, "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

"Oh," she stuttered for a moment, "My name is Rukia, uh…Rukia Orikasa."

The large man grinned in a way too like Shiba for it to be a coincidence. "I'm Ganju Shiba," he said. "I'm Kukaku's bro."

Brother? She supposed that made sense. They didn't look too similar, but their coloring, their eyes, and even that grin kind of gave it away.

"So much time, so little to see," Shiba said. "We should move on, Rukia. Oh, and Ganju?"

"Yeah, sis?"

"I don't pay you to sit around reading magazines. Get back to work!" she barked out. Ganju scowled in response, throwing his magazine down on the table. He muttered something about how she, "didn't pay him at all," but before Rukia could hear the rest of what he had to say, she was ushered off into the backroom.

At least, Rukia thought it would be a backroom. It ended up being an entire house!

It was an open area, traditional looking with sliding doors and a single hallway with plenty of windows. The hallway connected to a variety of rooms, and Kukaku made sure to stop by all the ones that she called "important."

This included one of the guest rooms, a spacious dining room with a low table, a kitchen that Rukia was not allowed inside (she only saw the door), and that was about it. It was pretty short for a grand tour, but Rukia had enjoyed it. Shiba was actually really nice, and she would try and tell funny stories or jokes about anything they came across. It made Rukia wish the tour was a lot longer. Shiba had to have something interesting to say about those "unimportant" rooms.

"And with that," the woman said grandly, "the tour is over. Any questions?"

Rukia had at least one. This place was big, too big for just two people. The apartment she and Mr. Orikasa lived at was _much_ smaller, and it still felt too big sometimes. (He was talking about moving, though.)

She just had to ask, "Do just you and Ganju live here?"

Kukaku shook her head. "Naw, we've got two others, Tessai and Yoruichi. You'll probably meet them soon. Anything else?"

Rukia was about to say no, but at the very last minute, she was reminded of something. "Where's the bathroom?"

She was pointed toward a little room near the shop door. Rukia rushed out a thank you before going in to do her business. By the time she stepped out, Kukaku wasn't there anymore.

Rukia paused for a moment, frowning. She looked down the hall, peeked around the door to the shop, and even snooped around a few of the rooms.

Nothing. Her guide was nowhere to be found.

Just as Rukia was getting ready to find a place to simply sit down in defeat someone did come by, or rather, something. The most beautiful black cat she had ever seen slunk out of a far door, barely giving her a glimpse of its shiny coat before disappearing out of the door at the very back of the house.

Rukia's sock covered feet padded after the cat before she even had time to think about it. Did Shiba mention having a cat? She didn't think so, but this cat was _far_ too pretty to just be a stray. It looked far too shiny and soft. She wanted so badly to get a good look at it, to maybe pet it.

She followed it out of the back door to a patio, one of the last places Shiba had shown her. The backyard was just as dusty as the front yard, but at least the light color of the dirt made it easy to spot the little kitty.

There it was sitting on the ground just beyond the porch, licking one of its paws, its bright golden eyes half lidded, its tail flicking lazily behind it. The dust didn't even seem to touch its wonderful fur. Rukia closed the door quietly behind her, but the second it hit the frame, the cat's ears stood up straight, alert and its head turned toward her.

Biting her lip, Rukia decided to approach slowly, not wanting to spook the poor thing. Holding out a hand, she shuffled forward, crouching down low. Before she could even get close, the cat stood up gracefully and darted a few meters away, toward the perimeter wall.

Rukia pouted, frustration and disappointment bubbling up in her chest. She had to try again.

She decided to go a little faster this time around to reach the cat before it had the chance to run away again. Setting her Chappy Doll on the porch for safe keeping, she walked quickly toward it. The cat bolted before it was even in reach, but hey, she was closer this time. That alone encouraged her to try again.

She tried again, and again, and again, for no reason more than "why give up now?" and each time, she was going a little faster. She quickly went from a fast walk to a jog, but it was around the time she started running that things went wrong.

The cat was just in front of the perimeter wall, tail flicking back and forth playfully, and Rukia just had a feeling that this would be it, that this time she could catch it. She sprinted forward, fingers just brushing against its soft fur, and watched as it bolted right. She hit the wall face first.

"Yoruichi!" she heard Shiba yell out in anger. She must have said more, but Rukia wasn't listening. She was too busy dragging herself up from the ground. Her face and arms hurt enough to make her eyes start stinging with tears. She blinked them back the best she could and tried not to sniffle too loudly. She didn't want to look like a baby that would cry over a couple of scrapes. After a moment, she managed to focus back on Miss Shiba.

The woman was there, holding the black cat up by its scruff, glaring furiously at it. The cat didn't look to happy either. Being picked up like that couldn't have been comfortable, but it wasn't struggling.

"We don't treat guests like that, Yoruichi! That's Byakuya's kid!" Shiba scolded.

Huh. That was Yoruichi? It wasn't excatly Rukia was expecting.

"It was just a game. I didn't think she would actually hit the wall," the cat sulked.

Rukia blinked. Her brain did a double take.

"…It can talk?" she asked with wide eyes.

Tossing the cat to the ground, Shiba said, "Yeah, Yoruichi's special like that." The cat landed gracefully on its feet, of course, (or rather _his_ feet. It sounded like a _he_ , Rukia thought.) Shiba continued, waving a hand, "Come on. Your face is all scraped up. We can get you cleaned up in the shop."

Rukia was brought inside again after that and guided into the main shop. She was sat down on a tall bench while Shiba rummaged through a drawer behind the counter.

While her back was turned, Ganju walked in the door, a heavy looking box in his arms. He took one look at Rukia and winced.

"Hey Ganju," Shiba said without even looking up, "get a wet towel for me, okay?"

He quickly put the box down on the counter, said, "On it," and hurried off.

Soon enough, Shiba had all she seemed to need to fix up Rukia's scrapes. They didn't look too bad once they were all bandaged up, but Rukia was pretty sure Mr. Orikasa was going to notice.

Once she was done, Shiba let out a long sigh.

"Ganju," she said, "look after Rukia for a bit. I still have something to take care of in the…storeroom."

"No problem," he said with a frown, eyes darting to the door. Rukia took that time to gently prod at her face, poking at her nose.

"I'll be back in a few, Rukia," Shiba said with a reassuring smile, one that looked just a bit apologetic. Rukia nodded at her, and the woman hurried away.

The second the door closed, Ganju asked, "What happened?"

"I was chasing Yoruichi," Rukia said simply. "I ran into a wall." Ganju let out a chortle.

"I'll bet big sis is pretty mad, huh?" he asked, humor in his voice.

Rukia frowned, saying, "She blames the cat…but it wasn't all his fault!" Ganju raised an eyebrow, a half smile on his face. In the end he just shook his head.

"Why don't you pick something from the store?" he eventually asked. "Anything you want."

"Really?" she asked with awe.

He shrugged. "Go for it."

Rukia still wasn't sure about it, but Mr. Orikasa _had_ told her that it was rude to say no when someone gave someone gave something to you. She climbed down from her seat, landing softly on the ground, and just as she was about to pick an aisle to explore first, the box that Ganju had carried in caught her eye.

It was cracked open a bit, just enough for her to get a glimpse at some of the packages inside. She glanced up at Ganju for a moment, questioning. He gave her a nod, and that was all she needed to pry it open the rest of the way.

It was candy wrapped up in brightly colored packaging, but it wasn't just _any_ candy. It was the special Chappy Gummy Candy that was barely even in stores yet. They only started airing commercials for them last week. Her mouth watered.

"Can I have one of these?" she asked softly, eyes still on the candy.

"I said anything, didn't I?" he said with a laugh. "Just don't eat them right now. Lunch is soon and Tessai will be _pis_ …I mean, very mad if you spoil it."

A grin broke out on Rukia's face as she grabbed one of the top packets. She stuffed it quicklky into her pocket, though she could only fit about half of it. The rest ended up flopping out. Whatever, as long as it didn't fall out, she didn't care.

Looking back up at Ganju, Rukia noticed that he had picked up his magazine again.

"What are you reading?" she asked, leaning to get a better look at the cover.

"Shōnen Jump," he said glancing at her. "You can read with me if you want."

Rukia had heard of that magazine before. It was a manga magazine, right? She had never read manga before, but she was curious to see what exactly Ganju was looking at.

"Yes, please," she said, dragging her stool closer to his. She climbed up, needing a hand from him to get situated fully, and leaned in as well as she could. Bringing an arm around her, he brought the magazine closer and flipped to the first page.

He explained the backstory for each chapter the best he could before proceeding to read each chapter aloud. She could read each one just fine by herself, but she wouldn't tell him that. She liked the funny voices he would use for the characters, liked how he would yell the sound effects. It left her enraptured.

Occasionally she would ask a question about a specific character, or about some of the weird powers a few of the stories had, and though Ganju's explanations sometimes just confused her more, she would nod her head like she understood, if only to continue the story.

Around the time they got to the end of the magazine, a man that was even larger than Ganju walked through the back door. His hair was in braids, he had a very large moustache, and skin the color of milk coffee. He would have looked scary, if he weren't wearing an apron. He was carrying two large lunchboxes, one kid sized lunchbox, and one teeny tiny lunchbox (a good size for a cat, Rukia thought).

"Sweet, lunch break," Ganju said, stretching the moment his feet hit the floor.

"Here," the man said to Rukia, holding out the kid-sized box. This must have been Tessai. With a quiet "thank you" she accepted the lunch. She held it in her hands for a moment. It felt warm and was wrapped up in a light green cloth.

"Where should I eat this?" she asked.

Ganju, who had already cracked his open and was digging in swallowed heavily before saying, "We usually take our lunchboxes wherever. You can eat with me if you want, though." Rukia was about to say yes, but she stopped herself at the last moment. She had almost forgotten!

"My Chappy Doll!" she said. "I left it in the back. I need to go get it." Not waiting for a response, lunchbox in hand she scurried to the main house and through the hallway.

She didn't mean to leave that doll. It was her absolute favorite! Mr. Orikasa had bought it the day he adopted her. She couldn't afford to lose it. Opening the back door, she was relieved to see…it was perfectly fine. She let out a sigh of relief that turned into a squeak when it rolled towards her all by itself.

Where the doll was stood Yoruichi, head lowered. It took her a moment to realize that the cat had just nudged her doll to her. Rukia picked the doll up, bringing it close to her again. With a careful frown, she set her lunchbox down on the porch right before sitting down close to Yoruichi but not too close.

"Sorry," he finally said.

Pursing her lips, Rukia shook her head. "I shouldn't have chased you."

"No, it was my fault," the cat said firmly. "I should have been more careful and not stood so close to the wall."

Rukia stayed silent for a moment, then. She didn't want to say "I forgive you," even if that was what Yoruichi was looking for, because that would imply she thought it was Yoruichi's fault, so instead she asked, "Can I pet you?"

Yoruiuchi snorted a bit at that, cracking what had to have been a smile, but soon enough, he slinked towards her. He approached slowly and pushed his soft head under her hand. With a smile, Rukia began scratching him softly behind the ears, satisfied. Eventually, the cat was almost fully in her lap, and she was eating her lunch, smile still firmly on her face.

The lunch was good. Incredibly good. It had fried fish, apple slices, and even a few heart shaped onigiri. It was plain, but tasty. She made her way through the lunch, giving Yoruichi little pieces of her fish now and again, and Yoruichi looked like he was in utter bliss, stretched out and happy.

Given enough time, there wasn't a crumb left of the lunch, and Rukia was perfectly full. All she was left with was an empty box. She glanced around, wondering where she should put it.

"You can leave it here," Yoruichi said, putting a paw on the ground. "I'll take it to Tessai." With a frown, Rukia set down the box. She wasn't sure how you could take away a bento box without hands, but maybe the cat would manage?

Making sure to grab her Chappy Doll, she got up from her spot on the patio and walked back into the house. She decided to take a second to look around by herself.

She found what looked like more bedrooms and managed to take a quick peak in the kitchen, but that was about it. There wasn't much to see.

The only interesting thing she found the whole trip was a storage room. It was dark, too dark to get a good look at any of the labels, but at one point her foot found a seam in the ground.

Getting on her hands and knees, she felt for the strange seam. She quickly realized that it must have been some kind of trap door. It probably led to a basement or something. She felt around for handle or latch, but the second her fingers settled on something–

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Rukia snapped up from her crouching position and quickly turned around. In the lit doorway was Shiba.

"Nothing!" she said. Was she not supposed to be down here? She wasn't sure, but she knew it was better to play it safe. Shiba raised an eyebrow at Rukia, but she said nothing more. She led Rukia out of the room and shut the door behind them. Rukia let out a very quiet sigh of relief.

"I was looking for you earlier," Shiba said, cracking a smile. "I was wondering if you wanted to play a game."

Rukia looked up at Shiba, tilting her head. "A game?"

"Yeah, it's called 'Overlord.'"

Rukia let out an "ooh…" of awe. "What's it about?"

Shiba brought a finger up to her chin. "What do you think it's about?"

Well, Rukia wasn't sure what it was about. She had never heard of the game before, and the name wasn't a lot to go on. Still, Shiba was looking at her expectantly, so Rukia decided to give her best guess.

"Is it like a game of pretend?" Shiba nodded. Rukia continued, making it up as she went along, "Then, there's probably this bad guy, he's called the 'Overlord," and a good guy has to try and stop them because…" Rukia hesitated. What was a good reason to stop someone? After a moment, her eyes widened, and she said, "They kidnapped someone!" She was sure she had gotten it right.

"Exactly!" Shiba said. "And guess who's the Overlord…" Rukia had a pretty good guess.

She looked up at Shiba, chest puffed out like one of the heroes from Shōnen Jump, and cried, "You! You kidnapped Ganju, didn't you?"

"Bwahahaha!" Shiba cackled. "You have discovered my evil plan. If you wish to get him back, you'll have to get through me, hero!"

Rukia could see it. She was a great hero, an Ancient Samurai that was going to defeat this Evil Overlord to free her friend, Ganju. Her foe laughed maniacally, running to the front of the shop to grab her captive by the back of his shirt.

Sure, he may have _sounded_ confused, but that was actually fear! Don't worry Ganju! They ran out to the yard of the shop (she meant the Overlord's Estate, of course) and the battle began.

You will pay for your crimes, Overlord!" Rukia yelled, brandishing her stick (sword).

"Ha! You couldn't beat me in a hundred thousand years, Samurai!" Shiba yelled.

"What's going on?!" the kidnapped Ganju cried.

The game ended up being some of the most fun Rukia had in a while. Ganju did eventually catch on, playing his part well. Soon enough, Rukia was sweaty, panting, but still laughing, hoping that the game would never end.

Like all things, though, it eventually did. She defeated the Overlord with a mighty blow from her sword and ran off into the sunset with her rescued friend via piggyback ride.

By the end, she felt worn out, but happy, and she was torn between wanting Mr. Orikasa to never come back so she could stay here forever, or for him to come back immediately so she could tell him all the amazing stories she had about her time here. Still, was sure of one thing.

She couldn't wait to come back next week.

* * *

 **Wow, we actually made it to the end of the Substitute Shinigami Arc! I'd love to simply power through, but I'm gonna need a break. Everyone, enjoy your Holidays because I'm going to come back with the Soul Society Arc on JANUARY 30.**

 **I will see you then, hopefully with the next arc ready to go for you all. Remember, your reviews and favorites give me life, and make sure to spread the word about this fic, now that the first arc is complete. These things are always better when you can read them all at once.**

 **(Update! Go to the AO3 version of this story on this chapter to see some ART done by me for Rukia's birthday!)**


	16. XVI

**Here it is, the start of a whole new arc after a short little break. Updates will be every Wednesday, now, and I hope you can all enjoy.**

 **I should preface this by saying that Bleach has a massive amount of characters with countless subplots and backstories. I will not get to all of them for the sake of time and for the sake of not retreading old ground. I kind of assume you all have a decent knowledge of the series, and that if you ever feel lost you can all go and take a refresher by looking over some of Kubo's lovely work.**

 **If something is glossed over or skipped entirely and never contradicted, assume it happened just like it did in the manga/anime. In case y'all forgot: SPOILER WARNING.**

 **With that, we can continue.**

* * *

Part I

Rukia wasn't a terribly heavy sleeper, and honestly, she didn't quite know why. All she knew was that from the time she was a little kid she could always get woken up by the tiniest of noises. She supposed this had its benefits. For example, getting up in the morning was usually pretty easy for her, even if her wakeup calls often included Paku's whining and the mutterings of the dead.

This meant that the second Yoruichi slunk into her temporary room, her eyes snapped open, sleep leaving them in a matter of seconds.

"Rise and shine," Yoruichi said with a smirk. Rukia let out a sound halfway between a sigh and a groan.

"Morning," she said, shoving off her covers, and without a second thought, she grabbed Sode no Shirayuki form the side of her cot, dragged herself to a standing position, and slid the sealed Zanpakuto into her obi belt. This new form provided a different sort of weight, but it was no less comforting.

"Look at you," Yoruichi commented with a laugh. "Ready to go in a snap. You've become a real Shinigami, haven't you?"

"I'm not sure if I'd go that far," Rukia said with her own weak smile. "I guess you could say I'm a little nervous." Yoruichi nodded firmly in response.

"That's not a bad thing to be feeling. This mission won't be easy, and in my opinion, a bit of fear would do you all some good."

Rukia took in the words, making sure to commit them to memory. She'd been doing a lot of that, lately.

"Breakfast has started already," Yoruichi continued. "Come down as quickly as you can. We'll be departing immediately after." At those words, the cat departed the same way he came.

Watching as the door closed in front of her, Rukia stayed behind a second. She brought a hand to her Zanpakuto's hilt, squeezing tightly. The girl took a deep breath, counting the seconds it took, and once she fully exhaled, once she released her grip, she followed.

The dining room was much more full than usual, and if Rukia had been feeling any traces of anxiety before, it all vanished at the sight of everyone.

Kukaku was there at the head, as always, having some boisterous one-sided conversation with Tessai, Ganju listening intently and laughing along. Yoruichi was by the side looking at her with knowing eyes, sitting right in front of a saucer of milk.

There was also Renji, a mostly eated breakfast lying in front of him, the only thing keeping him from the rest of it being a Paku that refused to detach herself from him. Right beside him was Ishida silently drinking a cup of tea and gazing around the room aloofly, acting as if he were far too cool for this odd rag-tag group. He was wearing an odd white outfit that Rukia tried not to comment on.

She sat down with a quiet "good morning" receiving a few answers back, as well as one relieved look from Renji. Tessai gave his "good morning" in the form of an amazing looking plate of grilled fish and miso. She dug in immediately.

Kukaku cleared her throat loudly, catching the attention of everyone in the room.

"Well," she started, "now that the kid's up, I say we get this show on the road."

"I suppose we'll be discussing plans," Ishida said, carefully placing his ceramic cup on the table.

"Not exactly," Yoruichi interjected. "We have a plan, but only to a point."

Kukaku continued, "We're gonna get you kids through the Senkaimon and to one of the old Shiba houses. There's a machine there that should get you into the Seireitei no problem. After that Yoruichi's gonna lead the way to a, uh… 'Secret Contact,' and after that, well, we're not entirely sure." She finished off the statement with a shrug, one that didn't sit well with Rukia, or with Ishida either, based on his sudden frown.

"Secret Contact?" Ishida asked incredulously. "You mean you can't even tell us who we're meeting?"

"Yeah, shouldn't we know who this whole mission's going to be hinging on?" asked Rukia, arms crossed.

"I'm afraid not," Yoruichi answered. "If this person were discovered it would be disastrous for all of us."

Kukaku continued, "That actually brings me to my next point: stick together. The Soul Society is huge, huge enough that if you were to get lost, even Yoruichi would have a hard time finding you. So, I don't recommend it."

The statement settled over the room after that, and it took a second for anyone to speak up.

Renji finally said, with a raised eyebrow. "So, go through the 'Sen-whatzit,' make it to one of your old houses, get launched head first into where they're keeping Ichigo, meet some mystery-man, stick together, don't get caught, and _eventually_ rescue Ichigo. Is that about right?"

"Got it in one," Kukaku said with a grin.

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Rukia.

With a scoff Renji added, "The sonner we leave, the sooner we get him back right? So, let's get going." Even Ishida was nodding quietly beside him, taking another long sip of his tea.

Kukaku looked a little taken aback by this sentiment. Maybe she hadn't expected them to be so eager, so gung-ho about running off to another realm to complete a dangerous mission, but really what _had_ she expected. They were all here for one reason, after all.

"Okay, okay," Kukaku said with a raised hand, and with a smirk she got up with all her usual swagger and stood before them, eyes blazing. "Let's go."

Abandoning their plates everyone followed her into the same training area that Rukia had spent over a week in. (She spent a short moment feeling smug at her friend's awed reactions at the strange reality bending place, even though Ishida did a fair job at hiding his.)

"Tessai, would you do the honors?" asked Kukaku.

The man gave a single curt nod before lifting a hand in front of him, making an unfamiliar motion in the air. It didn't appear to be a Kidō Spell, but it had a similar effect.

A looming archway came together in front of them, large pillars that appeared to be made of paper-mache impacting together and holding fast.

"So, this is a Senkaimon," Ishida said, studying the arch with a careful eye.

"Yep!" Kukaku said. "This is a special one, too. With this one you living folk should be able to pass through no problem. I'm not really sure how it works, but feel free to ask the guy who invented it if you manage to get out alive."

 _Well, isn't that encouraging…_ Rukia thought with a frown.

"This… _thing_ is up, so let's just get going," Renji said. He made for the archway but was stopped by Kukaku. She had a firm grip on his arm and an exasperated look on her face. Rukia thought she saw Yoruichi give the woman a knowing look. The cat was probably used to this by now, having trained him for so long.

"Hold your horses, big guy," she said. "The thing isn't even activated yet, and I still have a lot more to explain." She let him go at that moment with a nervous smile.

She continued, "We made this thing specifically so we could send all of you through successfully, and without getting caught. Because of that, this Senkaimon is a little…glitchy."

"Define glitchy," Rukia deadpanned.

"There's one glitch in particular," Kukaku explained. "It's the Kouryuu, a special current that flows through the passageway, or _Dangai_ specifically to keep people like us out of it. We managed to slow it down, at least, but that still only gives you four minutes to run through, and if you're caught, the mission's over before it even began."

"Then we just have to be quick about it," Renji said offhandedly.

"That's one way of putting it," Ganju said with a shaky smile.

Beside him Paku was nearly shaking. Her face was turning from pink to red, her mouth set in a deep frown and suddenly–

"Oh, come on!" Paku burst out. "Why can't I go with them? I'd be _perfect_ for this!"

Kukaku let out a long sigh before saying, "I already told you why. We need you here to take care of Hollows in Karakura while everyone else is gone and as a cover. You're the only one who can body-hop, here, and if one of their guardians decides they don't buy the Summer Camp excuse…" She let out another sigh, this one much shorter and filled with much more frustration.

"But–!" Paku started.

"No buts!"

"Even Ganju gets to go!"

Ganju scoffed, "That's because I actually know a thing or two about the Soul Society." Rukia frowned.

"Really?" she asked him quietly.

He whispered back, "Not really but don't tell her that."

"Hey!" Paku bit out.

With a frown that quickly developed into a full-on scowl, Kukaku said, "My brother can go and help save his nephew if he wants. Now, I don't want any more lip from any of you, got it!"

Everyone shut up immediately. Kukaku's scowl softened.

The woman stood by the side of the yet to be activated portal, laying a hand on it and looking at the group before her. In this moment, Rukia truly felt it. Their journey was going to begin.

"I guess now's about the time I give you all some grand speech about how you may die if you go in," Kukaku said to them all. "I should probably tell you that if your 'spirit wavers' you should turn back while you still have the chance, but I'm not going to give that speech. You all know what you got yourselves into, so I implore you:

"Shut up and do what you came here for! You go in there. You succeed. That's the only option you got, understood?"

A wave of "Understood!" answered her, and with a grin, she took that moment to raise her hand like someone about to call the start of a race. Rukia, Renji, Ishida, and Ganju were all gathered in formation before the portal, Yoruichi leading the charge.

"Tessai, activate the Senkaimon!" Kukaku called out.

The man raised his hand yet again, and making another motion, not unlike the last, the portal came sparking to life, the empty space being taken up by a wall of murky dark… Well, Rukia wasn't sure what was there. She ran in before she had the time to get a good look, hot on Yoruichi's heels, and before she knew it the artificial sun of the training area had disappeared.

Part II

Rukia never had time to get a good look at the Dangai. All she saw were pulpy walls rushing by in the corener of her eye as her feet continued to hit uneven ground. She kept her vision firmly on both Yoruichi and Ganju right ahead of her and kept her mind on Renji and Ishida behin her.

For a while the strange passage was quiet. Even their footsteps were severely muffled by these slimy walls.

The first sound that Rukia heard in here, aside from her own quiet breathing, was a low sickly churning that sent a shiver down her spine. Moments after she heard a loud rumble.

"Shit," she heard Renji curse.

"Shit" was right. They had barely been traveling a minute.

"That's the Koryuu! Just keep moving!" Yoruichi commanded.

They all ran a little bit faster, the tension raising with their speed. Rukia struggled to not look back at whatever was chasing them. In a way she didn't have to. She could feel it, this huge presence coming behind them like a train, maw wide open.

For a while, Rukia just ran, pushing herself ever faster to escape it, listening for any signs of distress from her two friends behind her. Eventually she heard one.

"Ishida!" cried out Renji, and without even thinking about it, Rukia was already reaching for Sode no Shirayuki, getting ready to attack. She was positive she could freeze this…whatever it was, or at least she was until she saw it.

Over her shoulder she saw the wall, closing behind them, collapsing everything in its path and leaving the corridor a few meters shorter than it was before with every second. How did someone freeze something like that? How did she stop something like that?

None of these questions helped Ishida, at the very back of their group, the tip of his ridiculous new white cape grabbed by the current. She probably wouldn't even be able to reach him in time.

Luckily, she didn't have to. Renji was there, powers activated as he quickly sliced through Ishida's costume, and dragged him forward and out of harms way. For a moment Ishida looked dazed, but he was being willingly pulled by the arm. Within seconds he was going at full speed again, pulling Renji along behind him.

"Are you two alright?" Rukia called back.

Through harsh pants, Renji said back, "Yeah, Ishida's costume may be ruined, but we're fine."

"'Costume?!' This is traditional Quincy garb, Abarai!" Ishida snapped.

"Oh, that's what its supposed to be?" Rukia joked. She could almost feel Ishida silently fuming behind her as Ganju chuckled just ahead.

The jokes helped lift their spirits for a moment, but it didn't slow down the current. If anything it was getting faster, forcing the boys forward and leaving Rukia's muscles burning from the strain. Yoruichi wasn't showing any signs of distress but having to run on the tiny legs of a cat couldn't have been easy.

It was then that Rukia realized she could see it, the "light at the end of the tunnel." It was tiny, distant, but visible, and that was enough to spur her on further. The current only seemed to get faster.

With every step the light became larger, closer, and the corridor became smaller and smaller.

"We're almost there!" yelled Yoruichi. Even he sounded off balance, though not nearly as much as what Rukia felt.

She was still moving forward, getting so very close. Just as she touched the light…

Rukia took her first step onto real solid ground and within moments she was knocked into from behind. She quickly found herself facedown in the dirt, the weight of what felt suspiciously like two teenage boys right on top of her.

"Crushing…me," she muttered out.

It took a moment, but eventually everyone had dragged themselves out of the pile and upright. Great, she could breathe again. Her legs were aching (and now her back was too), but she at least they were all alive.

"Um… Yoruichi?" she could hear Ganju ask hesitantly. Everyone's eyes went to him, and the first thing Rukia noticed was that he was holding a very dazed looking cat.

"Ganju what did you do?" Rukia asked, horrified. Ganju looked back at her, eyes wide and sweating bullets. What he said next was all spoken in a single breath.

" _I kind of landed on Yoruichi._ "

Renji groaned. Ishida brought a hand up to his temple muttering something along the lines of, "Oh, great." Rukia was right there with them.

"Hey, it wasn't like your landing was any better!" Ganju yelled. Rukia ignored it.

"Now what are we going to do?" she groaned.

"Uhh, guys?" Renji asked quietly. He was pointing right behind them, Ishida already looking intently at whatever it was with a deep frown. "I think we have company."

Rukia turned and just then fully registered where they were.

They had landed in the middle of a small town, but not one that Rukia had ever seen, at least anywhere but in a history book. Every building was made in a style that was probably very popular a few centuries ago and every town person was dressed fully in old-style yukata. Every one of their eyes were trained on this odd little group.

The Soul Society. They really were in the Soul Society. Rukia almost couldn't believe it. She almost wanted to jump up in the air and cheer, but there were more pressing matters ahead.

Everyone that was staring at them seemed incredibly weary. They were whispering and pointing, the word "Shinigami" coming up quite a lot. Rukia was unsure herself. She didn't know if they'd pose a threat, if they'd possibly tell someone in the Seireitei that they were here in the first place. She didn't want to pull Sode no Shirayuki on a group of random townspeople, but at the moment, she was a bit on edge.

Their guide was unconscious, they were still recovering from their earlier experience, and they were all, in general, very tightly wound up. This could turn bad fast.

"Wait!" a high-pitched voice rang out from the crowd. "Wait, I know them! Mister Renji! Mister Renji!"

A few people were moving aside, some of them startled away, and the crowd parted for a cherub faced little boy. It took Rukia a moment to remember who it was, but Renji knew instantly.

"Yūichi!" One of the biggest smiles she'd seen in a while broke out on Renji's face, and with that the boy ran forward, tackling him in a hug hard enough to make him stumble back a step or two. Renji didn't complain, though. He just scooped Yuichi up, saying, "You're a lot bigger than when I last saw you, huh, Yūichi?"

The child giggled, "That's just because I'm not a bird anymore."

"No, no, I think you've gotten bigger," Renji insisted.

It was almost magic the way the crowd's hearts melted before Rukia's very eyes. Everyone was immediately put at ease, quite a few deciding to go back to whatever they were doing before. Rukia couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief as the crowd dissipated.

Rukia took that moment to quietly slip next to Ganju. She grimaced at the sight that greeted her. Yoruichi's definitely seen better days.

"Is he alright?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah," Ganju answered with a frown. "This might be a setback, though. We can't get the machine running without Yoruichi."

Glancing back at Renji she commented, "At least we're not in any rush."

"No kidding," Ganju said with some humor. "I never would have guessed Renji was so good with kids."

Rukia answered honestly, "Neither did I. I mean, I knew he did some babysitting, but…"

In a word, the sight of Renji happily holding this poor kid she had to exorcise some weeks ago was "adorable." (She could already imagine how Renji would bristle at the word.) It was moments like these that Rukia would remember what Renji was at his core, a sensitive and sweet guy that she's been friends with for so long for a _reason_.

"Ruk, you're staring," Ganju said with an odd smile.

"What?" Rukia startled. "…Was I?"

"Just a little." That smile on his was still there.

"Hey," Ishida interrupted, "are we or are we not going to the old Shiba house?" He looked annoyed, tapping his foot in an impatient manner. If Rukia knew him, it probably had a lot to do with his torn cape, and the way he kept throwing glances at it in despair every once in a while only proved it.

"We'll head off in just a second," Ganju assured. "Hey, Renji! You coming?"

"I'll catch up in a bit," he said, waving a hand. Ganju shrugged.

"Just get back to us in one piece, eh?"

"Got it."

Rukia bit her lip, wanting to say something to Renji. Maybe she'd say "Take your time" or "Tell me all about it later" or, more embarrassingly, "You two look adorable." Instead, she just waved him goodbye, watching as he waved back with enthusiasm.

"Let's see if I can remember where this place is…" Ganju trailed off. He began to lead the way to some destination that he'd probably not been to in, well, Rukia didn't know how long. She followed, and while they began to move into the tree line, she glanced back over her shoulder one last time. With a smile she looked back to Ganju and walked forward.

Part III

Renji didn't really mind being dragged around by an eight-year-old, or at least not as much as he should have. Yūichi was just so happy showing him around and telling him all about his new friends and this new place. Apparently, this was the nicest district in the entire Soul Society, which was good. The poor boy deserved as much after all he'd been through.

"So, you and your mom have it pretty good, huh?" Renji asked with a smile. He was hoping that this would send Yūichi on another happy rant, that he would go on about all the wonderful things they'd been doing together, but instead the boy's face fell

"I haven't found her," he mumbled, but through it, he tried to force a smile. It didn't really work. "I've been staying with this other family, though. They're super nice so it's fine. Actually…" He stopped in his tracks using his free hand to point to a fairly large house on the corner of the street. "I live right over there. Wanna see?"

Renji nodded and smiled back, even though he didn't feel like smiling.

Shouldn't he say something? He felt like he should, but he just wasn't sure what. Damn, he just wasn't good at these types of things. All he really knew was that if he were in Yūichi's position he'd be throwing a fit, screaming and crying about how he wanted his mom. He'd probably feel better if Yūichi _was_ throwing a fit. At least then he'd know how to react.

He was led by tiny hands tugging on his long sleeve, dragging him toward the house. Just like everything else in this place it looked like it belonged in a museum, but unlike a dusty artifact, it seemed alive. He could see flowers growing and two kids playing ball in the front yard.

"Kenichi! Satoshi! This is the person I was talking about!" Yūichi yelled out.

"We _did_ believe you, ya know. You didn't have to drag him down here," one drawled. The other just playfully stuck out his tongue.  
"Yeah, yeah," Yūichi answered back before sliding open the door. The inside of the house was much less active. A few sounds could be heard, but it was pretty obvious that most of the others that lived in this big place were out to enjoy what seemed to be a nice sunny afternoon.

"Mr. and Mrs. Orimo I brought a guest!" Yūichi called into the house.

For a second no one responded, but eventually Renji was able to hear a distant feminine voice say, "I'm in the back!"

Renji took in the house as they sauntered though. It was pretty open and looked like there were a lot of rooms. It seemed tidy enough, even though there was the occasional toy lying around. He was led all the way to the back to see a woman taking yukata of varying sizes from a clothesline.

She was a rather tiny and sweet looking woman, her dark hair being pulled back from her face in a twisted bun. She was probably only a little younger than his mom. Renji squirmed under her intent gaze, but this expression softened the moment Yūichi launched into his explanation of who he was and what exactly he was doing here.

When the boy finished, she dusted her hands off on the front of her light blue yukata and said with a smile, "Well, a dear friend of Yūichi's is always welcome in this house."

Renji gave a shallow bow, saying, "Thank you ma'am."

"Hey!" one of the kids from before called, peaking right around the edge of the wall. "We were gonna play soccer, remember?"

"Aww, but…" Yūichi stammered for a moment looking from his friends and then at Renji and back again.

"You go along and play," Mrs. Orimo eventually decided. "I want to talk to… Renji, was it?"

"Well, yeah, but –"

"He'll still be here when you come back," she assured. "I promise."

Yūichi still didn't look so sure. He looked longingly at his friends, but still stubbornly looked at the two that were probably going to have an "adult conversation" without him. In a split second, though, he made his decision. He ran towards his friends, and waved back at Renji with a, "See you later, kay?"

"Cross my heart," promised Renji, and he watched as Yūichi ran off, the picture of bliss.

"Isn't seeing them like that great?" asked Mrs. Orimo. She was looking at the now empty space by the wall with a gentle smile on her face, and something odd in her eyes.

"Huh? Uh, yeah," stammered Renji. "They look… happy."

"It's just so sad," she said quietly. "They were just kids when they died. They had to go through that pain before they were even old enough to understand it. My husband and I were lucky, we at least…" She shook her head, gripping her laundry a little tighter. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling, aren't I? I'm Yui Orimo."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Orimo," he said automatically. "I'm well…" He couldn't very well introduce himself back when she already knew his name could he?

She let out a laugh. "I already know all about you, Renji," she said. He felt himself blush.

"Yūichi sure did talk about me a lot, didn't he?" he said sheepishly.

"That he did," she said, "and I would like to thank you for all you did for him." As she finished this statement she bent down into a low bow. Renji turned an even brighter red.

"You don't have to do that!"

"What you did was worthy of praise," she insisted. "You helped him in his time of need."

"I'm sure he exaggerated," Renji explained away. "Rukia honestly did a lot of the work." Mrs. Orimo shook her head, bringing herself back up.

"If you did even half the things he said, you're still a hero."

A hero, huh? Renji dind't think he'd ever been called that one, before.

"I'm… honored, ma'am."

"You should be," she teased. "It's no small matter for a child to consider you a hero. You have a lot to live up to now, young man."

Renji gulped. "I guess I'll have to try my best then."

"That's all one can do."

After this the woman glanced back up at her work with a pensive frown before turning to him.

"Would you mind helping me with this?" she asked. "I usually ask one of the older kids, but…"

"No problem. What do you want me to do?"

"Ah, just take these off the pins and fold them into that basket over there." It didn't look to hard, even if it was a little strange to him. He only ever used a modern dryer. They started the work, and after a moment, Renji noticed exactly how many clothes they had.

"You keep a lot of kids here, don't you?" he asked. Wait, maybe that was a rude thing to mention? He almost regretted saying it, but Mrs. Orimo answered anyway.

"As many as we can." With a laugh she added, "My husband and I always wanted kids and look, now we have thirteen!" Renji whistled in appreciation.

"I'm an only child. I couldn't even imagine."

"I'm not saying its easy, but at least here in the Soul Society you never get hungry, so money's not much of a problem."

"It still is amazing." To come here and make a family with every orphaned kid you could find was amazing.

"Just about every family here's like this," she continued. "Ours may be a bit bigger than average, but it's hardly unusual."

"So, it's common, then, to lose track of your birth family."

With pursed lips, she lamented, "It happens just about every time. If you manage to cross over at the same time and place, there's a chance. Me and my husband were lucky enough to have been like that, but it's a rarity."

With those words she folded up the very last yukata and put it in the basket with a satisfied smile.

"Thanks for the help," she said. "I'd imagine you'd want to move along by now. It's not every day a living person and his Shinigami friend stop by; so, I assume you're here for a reason. Yūichi should be by the field at the edge of town, down west, if you'd like to see him."

Renji's eyes darted to the sky. It was getting late, he could tell. It wasn't quite evening, but he had been out for a while, already.

"Yeah, I should probably get going," he admitted. "Thank you for having me."

She saw him off with a smile and a wave as he went around the house, headed in the general direction Mrs. Orimo had given.

It wasn't very exact as directions went, but this place was pretty small, only about as big as a single district in Karakura Town. Then again, old villages were like that, weren't they? It didn't take him too long to reach a grassy clearing, just before some tall trees where a group of boys and girls were kicking around an old ball. It looked like they had made some makeshift field lines out of sticks.

He spotted Yūichi on the far side playing the Goal Keeper and looking very focused. He didn't want to stop the game just to say a few words, but it turned out he didn't have to.

"Hey, Yūichi! That weird looking guy is here!" one of the boys from earlier called, stopping the ball under his foot.

"What did you just call me you little brat?" Renji seethed. The kid didn't even flinch, just gave him a smug look.

"He's not weird looking, Kenichi," Yūichi defended.

Sending one last quick glare at "Kenichi," Renji's eyes settled on Yūichi. The kid was looking up at him, expectantly. Renji almost felt nervous.

"I've gotta go," he finally said. "I just wanted to say goodbye, for now at least." God, he hoped that Yūichi wouldn't get sad at this. He doubted he could handle that.

Of course, he didn't do that. This kid seemed hell bent on surprising Renji at weird moments, so he instead smiled big and wide.

"Are you going to do more hero stuff?" he asked, awe in his voice. Renji tried really, really hard to not blush again.

"Well," he stuttered out, "Yeah? Remember that orange haired guy?" The boy nodded intently. "We kind of have to rescue him." This caught the interest of a couple other kids, too, even Kenichi.

"Where are you going?" Yūichi asked.

"I'm not sure. Our guide was knocked out, but I think I have to get to somewhere called the Shiba House." A few of the kids ooed and awed.

"I know where that is!" one of the little girls exclaimed, hands clasped. "There's this weird house in the forest with a banner that says Shiba on it." A few of the kids nodded in agreement. "No one's ever there, and we climb on the weird statues all the time."

"How do I get there?"

One of the other boys from before, Satoshi, pointed into the forest saying, "There should be a path that way. Follow it and you'll be there in no time."

"Thanks kid," Renji said. "And Yūichi?" The boy looked right up at him with anticipation. "I'll be back soon, okay."

"Okay!" he answered back, "but you need to tell me everything that happened when you're done."

Renji grinned. "Will do."

Part IV

The house looked normal enough, being no bigger than Yūichi's.

Well, it might have been normal if it weren't for the impossibly tall pillar behind it and the two giant stone arms in front of it that held up a bright red banner that read "Kukaku Shiba" in messy black Kanji. That was pretty damn weird.

Yeah, this was definitely the right place.

Renji slid open the front doors. He was immediately greeted with a tiny Yoruichi staring right up at him with an intense expression.

"Where were you?" the cat lead with.

"I just ran into an old friend," Renji defended. "Did I hold us up?"

The cat huffed, saying, "Not horribly, no. Ganju is still getting supplies, so I suppose you're off the hook, for now."

The cat turned, motioning Renji forward with a jerk of its head, leading him deeper into the house.

"What kind of supplies?" he eventually asked.

"Bandages, food, help, the like."

"Wait, I thought we couldn't get hungry here?" He swore he just heard Mrs. Orimo say exactly that.

"Only weak Souls don't get hungry. Are you done asking stupid questions?"

"Hey, I just wanted to know…" He muttered. By then they had already reached a wide open door.

"Look who finally decided to show up," a voice from the other side said sardonically.

Renji was very glad that Ishida had decided to ditch his already torn cape, because if he hadn't Renji would have strangled him with it. He instead plopped down right next to Rukia, cross legged.

"At least I wasn't the one that got almost killed by a shitty costume cape."

"For the fifth time, this is–!"

"Would you both shut up!" Rukia yelled. "Yoruichi, please tell us why you brought us here!"

The two boys silenced, but it didn't stop them from glaring at each other above Rukia's head.

The cat rolled his eyes, and then, clearing his throat he said, "The Seireitei isn't far from here, but as we already explained, we can't just walk through the front doors. So, a while back Kukaku made a device that should send us all over the wall and right through the barrier. It's a bit… unorthodox, but it should do."

"That still doesn't explain why we're here," Ishida pointed out. "You couldn't have just brought us here to repeat yourself."

"Of course, I didn't," the cat said with a smirk. "In order for this plan to work you all need to learn how to form a barrier of your own so we don't splatter upon impact."

Renji blanched.

"I'm back!" was heard from the door. Ganju was there, flanked by two mysterious men wearing official looking robes and matching moustaches. He was carrying sacks of what were probably the supplies Yoruichi mentioned and was holding a strange looking orb.

"I see you brought the Reisyukaku," Yoruichi said.

Ganju tossed the orb up and down in his hand. "Course I did."

"Would you mind demonstrating it for us?"

"Huh? Okay."

The man had a look of concentration on his face for a moment, and around him the pressure in the room grew. Light gathered at the center of the orb, and in an instant expanded out. Suddenly he was surrounded by a barrier, clear like glass, but resonating with a kind of power that could be more felt than seen. Soon after, he released it. The large men behind him clapped enthusiastically.

"I want all of you here to be able to do that by sunrise," Yoruichi said with finality. "Dinner will be at sunset." On that, he waltzed out.

A beat later, Ganju asked, "So, who wants to try first?"

After a moment of waiting, Rukia was the first one to stand up, and said, "I guess I will."

The mechanics were smiple enough. Pump a good amount of spiritual pressure in there and the orb does the rest for you. Rukia was able to produce a weak looking barrier on just her first try, the two big guys behind Ganju alternating between cheering and instructing. Quite a few corrections later and she was able to get one that was apparently good enough for her to pass.

Ishida was next. He was able to grasp it faster, but it ended up being a weird ellipse shape first, like a very large version of his bow. It only took a few tweaks for him to be able to pull it off.

Renji was where the troubles started.

"You need to put more into it than that," said Thing 1.

"Maybe he's just no good?" wondered Thing 2.

"You're not helping!" yelled Renji.

He had been at it for a while, now, and couldn't even get a weak barrier going, just mangled energy that burned whenever he brushed against it. Dinner time rolled around before they even knew it.

"Maybe we should stop for now," Ganju said. "We can get back to it later."

"Wait, wait. I think I can get it this time!" Renji assured.

He tried again. He gathered all the energy he could muster into his hands and released it in a single burst.

It exploded in his face, literally. He was knocked back on his ass.

"Goddammit!" he yelled. That one really freaking hurt!

Rukia crouched down next to him, a careful frown on her face. "You can't do this on an empty stomach," she said. "We should take a break."

Letting out a long sigh, Renji put downt he orb.

"Maybe you're right," he said. She smiled, relieved.

Part V

Not long after dinner everyone had decided it was a good time to go to bed. They had an early morning, after all. Dressed in an old yukata, Rukia dragged a comb through her hair and wondered if Renji was doing alright.

He was still up working on his barrier, and though he was having trouble, Rukia had no doubts that he could do it. He just hadn't gotten the right kind of help, yet.

The only reason she was able to figure out all this was because of her work with her Zanpakuto and the ribbon metaphor that Ishida had given her way back when. The metaphor may not have applied in all contexts, but the visual certainly did help.

Ishida? He'd been making bows his whole life. This probably wasn't much of a stretch for him.

What did Renji have? He had powers of his own, sure, but they didn't really work in the same way, or at least from how she understood it. It was no wonder he was struggling.

Someone had to teach him, help him. Rukia got up from her cot, slid open the door to the hallway resolutely, and came face to face with Renji, holding the orb in his hand.

"I, uh, wanted help with this," he said quietly.

Sitting back on her heels, she chuckled. He turned red for a moment.

"Come on in," she said. For some reason she wasn't surprised that they were thinking the exact same thing at a time like this. "Sit down over here." She motioned towards her cot. He sat down with a heavy sigh.

"Thanks," he said. "I really don't get this stuff, but you seem to, so…"

"Well, I did have practice. You've never done something like this before, so, I get it." The relief on his face was palpable. He held up the orb with a quirked eyebrow.

"How does this thing work, anyway?"

She didn't grab it from him, just reached over to place her own hand over it.

"Let's start with the basics."

* * *

 **Thanks for coming back to this (or for reading for the first time), and I hope you all know how much your views, and especially reviews mean to me. They brighten my day and get me through both long days of classes and any self-doubt I have while working on this. I may not respond directly all the time, but know that I read just about every review over and over again until I could just about recite them.**

 **To Summarize: Your reviews do indeed give me life.**


	17. XVII

**New week new chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Part I

"Again!" Rukia barked.

With a determined look in his eye Renji formed a barrier around himself. It was the right shape, the right size, but she could see a flaw in it, a kind of unsteady quiver about the edges.

"Do it over again," she ordered with a frown.

"Oh, come on!" he growled, the barrier instantly falling. "Didn't I have this thing down last night already? It's fine!"

"You were the one that asked for my help!"

"Yeah, and if I'd known you'd be such a slave driver…" he trailed off, hands tightening around the orb, looking down at Rukia. She stared right back up at him, glare unwavering.

Letting out a long frustrated sigh, he raised up another barrier, and Rukia stood beside, studying it with an appraising eye.

Honestly, he had gotten better, a lot better, in a very short amount of time. If Rukia were to guess, she'd say that his number one problem was focus. At the beginning he would just pour in all his power without even thinking about it. The real trick just seemed to be getting him to pay more attention to how the orb reacted to his power, and be more thoughtful about how he poured it in.

Once he learned that, all that was left was practice. Watching him now, a smile creeping on her face, Rukia realized that it all paid off.

"Not bad," she said. Renji opened his mouth looking like he was going to say something snide until he seemed to realize that she had actually _complimented_ him.

"Really?" he asked.

She nodded, saying, "Consider yourself graduated." He still looked skeptical.

"So, no, 'That part's not steady enough, Renji,' or 'Focus, Renji,' or 'Stop making it explode, Renjij?'" he said in a high-pitched mockery of her voice. Her eyes narrowed back into their former glare.

"Well, we could always go over it another twenty times if you want to _so badly._ "

"No, no, no!" he rushed out nervously. "I'm good." Rukia smiled at that. She never realized that thinly veiled threats could be such a good deterrent to mockery.

"Hey, Ruk, you decent?" a voice called from the other side of the door. The two friends' eyes snapped to it immediately.

"I am. You can come in," she said back.

The moment she said that Ganju slipped through the door, and he looked a little different then usual. Over the years she had known him, Rukia had only ever seen him in T-shirts, jeans, and maybe the occasionall hoodie. Yeah, he had his bandana, but that wasn't necessarily odd.

Today he came out in a green vest, a sleevless kimono top, loose fitting black pants, and arm guards. It looked like he was ready for…something. She wasn't sure what, but he was certainly ready for something. First Ishida and now him. Was Renji going to pull a costume change before they left, too?

He continued, sounding slightly exasperated, "Yoruichi wanted us all out back like five minutes ago and that cat is going to kill me if I don't…" He trailed off.

Ganju paused when he crossed the threshold. He glanced between the two teenagers alone in the room, an eyebrow raised. Then, a wide smile crept on his lips.

"Oh, I see how it is…"

Rukia blinked, her brain kind of…stuttering like it was a cellphone with bad connection. Then, realization dawned on her.

"Wait, its, not–!"

"It's alright, it's alright," Ganju said with his hands raised. "I was young too, once, I get it."

Rukia wanted to scoff at that, would have if her face weren't turning completely red. Ganju wasn't even that much older than her! (At least not by Soul Society standards.)

Renji sat silent beside her, face about as red as his hair.

"I'll leave you two alone," Ganju said with a wink. "Just try and not to get to distracted. I was serious about Yoruichi." He finished with a grimace and left them, quietly closing the door behind him.

The room suddenly felt far too stuffy and far too small. Renji was still dazed and Rukia didn't even know where to start in unpacking _this_ mess.

"I…um…need to change," she eventually said, eyes firmly on the ground.

"What?" he asked. He didn't even seem to have heard her, but after a second, he just nodded. "I'll just…uh…yeah."

He left the room in a hurry after that, tripping slightly on his own feet on the way out. Rukia buried her face in her hands the moment the door closed.

She changed in a hurry after that, putting on her black Shinigami robes. When she came out of the room, he was still there, kneeling outside of the door and staring into space. He glanced up at her. She looked back down at him.

They both silently agreed to never speak of this moment again.

By the time Rukia and Renji made it to the backyard of the Shiba house, the rest were already assembled, including Ganju who gave them a wink that sent a shudder down Rukia's spine. Without even a second glance, he continued speaking to the twins from yesterday.

"So, you're sure you two can activate this spell on your own?"

"With our powers combined, we should be able to activate the cannon, sir!" barked the one nearest to her.

"We will not let you or the mistress down, sir!" cried the other one. Ganju let out a hearty laugh.

"That's what I like to hear! Get in your positions!"

Ishida, standing a short distance away, ramrod straight and arms crossed, muttered something to himself.

"Ya got something to say?" asked Renji, voice tinged with defensiveness. Rukia almost rolled her eyes. It was too early for this.

Ishida answered back with thinly veiled aggression. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little concerned with how they're planning on shooting us out of a fireworks cannon."

Renji asked, eyes bulging, "They're _what now_?" Ishida scoffed.

"Maybe you'd know this if you had bothered to be here on time yesterday." Then, glancing at Rukia, he added, "or today for that matter."

Rukia actually did roll her eyes at this. She was pretty sure that Ishida was just messing with Renji. This was the first she's heard of a cannon too.

It was in this very moment that she registered the full implications of that statement. Eye's wide, she looked to the only notable structure in the yard and that was the several stories tall pillar covered in various seals and spells.

"You don't mean…" she muttered. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ishida stiffly nod, a very displeased look on his face.

All this time and she had assumed that pillar was for decoration, but no it was an industrial sized _cannon_ , one that they were going to be launched out of. She almost couldn't believe it, but then again, this was Kukaku's house.

Ganju came back from where the two twins were now positioned, and with a smile explained, "This right here's the Kukaku Cannon. It's a little device of her own invention, and it's going to kickstart this whole mission."

"No offense, Ganju, but that thing's anything but little," Renji said, neck craning to eye the top.

Yoruichi turned to them all at that time, settling a steady gaze on them.

"Regardless of your feelings toward the device," Yoruichi started, "it is the safest way inside, and I, in this case, fully trust Kukaku's judgment. If all goes well we will be meeting out contact in minutes, and right on schedule.

"Ganju, if you would lead the way? I believe it's about time we got going."

"Got it boss."

With a wave of his hand he led them all to the smooth base of the pillar, and without hesitation he knocked on it once, the sound harsh and resounding. Stone melted away and an entrance appeared for them. He walked in quickly after that, and the second Rukia, at the very end of the line, crossed the threshold, the entrance disappeared behind her as if it were never there in the first place.

She gulped joining the others quickly.

Though it was supposed to be a cannon, it wasn't recognizable as one, not that she knew much about a cannon's innerworkings. The pillar was as smooth on the inside as it was the outside. Then again, she was pretty sure that this cannon didn't run off normal explosives.

Yoruichi, standing in the very center cleared his throat, catching the attention of all.

"Before we depart, I would like to go over a few things, mainly the threats we will be facing." The cat said this with a certain seriousness, his normally intense gaze hardening. "There is, of course, what Kukaku has already mentioned, but we have yet to speak of the Shinigami themselves. I am confident that if any of you were to come across a normal Shinigami, you would have no trouble protecting yourself, but not all Shinigami can be considered 'normal.' Be weary of Lieutenants, like the one our dear Rukia ran into, and do not under any circumstances challenge a Captain."

Rukia remembered the Captain she had seen, Ichigo's own father, the one that had almost killed her with little effort. She shuddered.

"They are identifiable by their white haori and are the most powerful people in the entire Seireitei. You will run if you see one and hope that they did not notice you.

"We will not be taking any unnecessary risks in this mission. We are here for one reason and one reason alone."

 _Rescuing Ichigo_

"Understood!" they all chorused. The sound echoed throughout the chamber.

"Ganju, set the Resyukaku down in the center of the room," Yoruichi ordered with the tap of a paw. He waited patiently for it to be placed before him. He then jumped on top of it, carefully balanced on all four paws.

The difference was instant and immense. A barrier was brought up, and this one was larger, brighter, and stronger than any that she had seen created so far. Apparently neither size nor species was indicative of power.

"Everyone, add your own power!" Yoruichi commanded. "We must make this barrier as strong as possible."

They all approached the now levitating Yoruichi, placing their hands on the orb. It took a second for Rukia to realize that Renji was hesitating, was staring at his hand for a second, questioning, but before too long, he had approached, too, placing his hand on it, bracing for it to blow up in his face.

It didn't. It just grew brighter and remained stable. He sent a triumphant grin Rukia's way, and she couldn't help but to smile back.

"We're ready!" Ganju yelled to the open top of the pillar. Though the sound was a bit muffled, she could hear the twins yelling back.

Rukia could also feel herself buzzing with what could have been excitement, nerves, or even just the energy spell surrounding her. She wasn't quite sure, but her fingers still remained steady as she looked to the group around her.

Ganju was just to her left, eyes glued to the orb. He was biting his lip, deep in focus. Even he seemed nervous, and something about that was incredibly comforting.

Renji was to her right, eyes lit up with excitement and pure energy. A smile was still tugging at his lips, and for a second he caught her gaze. He gave her a single nod.

Ishida was right across from her, looking comparatively nonchalant. He gazed down at the orb, with the same air of confidence he had when drawing his bow.

By the time her eyes reached Yoruichi, Rukia realized that the cat was staring right at her. She stared right back, and after a long moment of holding this, she had realized something that Yoruichi didn't need to say.

They knew exactly what they were here for, and they were ready. At that very moment, the twins began to recite the spell.

"Seventy-two pairs of illusions."

"Thirteen pairs of illusions."

"The monkey's right paw captures a star."

Rukia could feel another energy building around them. This was really happening!

"Held in the embrace of twenty-five suns, the cradle of sand will flow with blood."

"Flower-Crane Cannon Launch, Method Two! Kagizaki!"

They were launched, and it happened so quickly, Rukia couldn't even pinpoint the moment. They were hurtling through the air going at the speed of a bullet.

"Woah!" gasped Renji. "Woah" was right, Rukia thought.

They were in the air, gazing down at the forest and town, far above the wall to the Seireitei. They were so high up! Rukia subconsciously brought herself closer to the orb.

Ganju, on the other hand, went further away from it. He took one hand off the orb and begun fumbling for some papers that were tucked within his vest.

"I thought we were supposed to stay focused?" Rukia sked with wide eyes.

Ganju didn't answer at first, working quickly to unfold an incredibly long piece of paper covered completely in hard to read cursive script.

" _You_ have to stay focused," he eventually answered. "I need to use this to stabilize the cannonball." With a frown, he scrutinized the text, mumbling something before adding, "I'm gonna have to let go. I need you all to compensate for the lost power, got it?"

He didn't give them time to answer. Just as they reached the apex of their arc he released his hold, and Rukia was scrambling slightly to adjust. She almost released her own hold when something loudly crackled beside her.

"Abarai, tone it down!" yelled Ishida.

"Hey, how do you know it's my fault?" Renji snapped back.

"Who else would it be? Yoruichi?"

"Ishida's right," Rukia said carefully. "You're putting too much into this." This only seemed to frustrate Renji more.

"Well…I'm trying! If this guy would get off my back–!"

"All of you shut up!" Ganju yelled. Then, looking back at his scroll, he cursed. "This spell isn't exactly easy, ya know! I need to concentrate!"

"Blame that guy!" This was yelled in unison by both Ishida and Renji. The second they realized it, they sent each other harsh glares.

Muttering something under his breath about "troublesome teenagers" Ganju glanced out of the cannonball, sweat visible on his brow. It wasn't difficult to see why he was so nervous. The cannonball was picking up speed, the Seireitei was coming closer and closer. Impact was coming sooner than expected.

"Ganju, you might want to hurry up on that spell," Rukia urged.

"You think I don't know that?" he huffed out, eyes furiously scanning the paper. He finally began reciting (again.)

"Flower-Crane Cannon Launch, Method Two. Secondary Spell. Fate of three sparrows, fate of four dragons–!"

"Ganju," Yoruichi interrupted. The man glanced up, looking for a second like he wanted to pull his own hair out. "We're out of time. Everyone put as much power into this as possible. We're going to have to strengthen the barrier manually and hope for the best."

That didn't sound terribly confident. In fact, it sounded downright worrying, and from how Renji gulped beside her and Ishida turned a shade paler, they agreed.

Without so much as a word they all increased their power input, and it became immediately obvious as to why this method wasn't preferred.

The barrier brightened to near-blinding levels, and energy began crackling around them. The orb felt burning hot underneath Rukia's hand to the point where the had to force herself from flinching away.

In the meantime, the Seireitei was growing closer and closer, and they were crashing down like a meteorite. Then, they hit the barrier.

For a second, it was as if they had struck a wall, and then, an electric fence. The pressure increased to the point of asphyxiation and lightning crackled around them. The whole time, Rukia was thinking that there was no way the entire Seireitei didn't know they were here.

The tension in the collision built and built, until it finally snapped. The barrier broke with a sound somewhere in between shattering glass and a sonic boom, and then she was weightless.

"Quickly!" yelled Yoruichi. "Grab onto each other. This state won't last forever!"

It took a moment for Rukia to even realize what Yoruchi was talking about, but when she did, oh boy was it surreal.

"What the…" she trailed off.

She was perfectly suspended in the air, upside down, and floating amongst the others all scattered around the atmosphere. In the middle of them was the orb, energy lazily sprouting from it and becoming weaker and weaker by the moment.

Then, before her very eyes, it dimmed completely, and an entire new energy sprouted from it. Formerly still air started whipping about wildly, currents picking, and, much to her horror, dragging her and everyone else apart. All she could do was wave her arms about uselessly as everyone else panicked around her.

"Dammit!" Ganju cursed, fighting earnestly against the current. Rukia had no idea how he managed it, but he squirmed his way toward her, getting just close enough to grab the back of her robe, anchoring himself to her, all the while muttering things about how they needed to "stay together, dammit!"

It wasn't a moment too soon, either. The winds that had pushed them apart were starting to pull them down, and before they even knew it they were in freefall.

The two spent the whole way down clutching to each other for dear life and screaming at the top of their lungs.

Part II

Not even a minute later, Rukia found herself on her hands and knees coughing up an entire bucket's worth of sand. A meter or two away Ganju was doing the exact same thing.

"Didn't know you could…" Rukia took a moment to catch her breath, grimacing at how gravelly her voice sounded there for a second. She continued, "I didn't know you could just make a crater of sand out of nowhere."

"It's an easy enough trick," he said, shaking sand out of his shoe. "I'd show you how, but we need to get going. This place is going to be crawling with Shinigami in a moment."

"Got it," she answered with a nod. She frowned when this nod dislodged about a cup of sand from her hair. Bringing up a hand to shake out the rest of it, she followed him out of the crater and into a nearby alleyway. He was glancing around, mouthing words to himself with his brows furrowed. He looked like he was trying to recall something.

Rukia hoped in her heart that Ganju would be able to act as a decent replacement guide to Yoruichi. She certainly didn't know where they hell they were.

The Seireitei, like the town outside of it, looked like it was from a different era, though not the same one. Every building was exactly alike, with brown curved roofs and everything was made of concrete and stone. It was uncomfortably clean, and its inhabitants were sparse.

They weren't sparse enough, however. Within minutes of walking Ganju was holding her against the wall, waiting for a small group of patrolling Shinigami to pass.

"Come on," one of them said. "Mr. Ayasegawa told us the Ryoka were somewhere in this area."

"Ugh," another groaned. "I'm not good at this 'sensing' stuff. Why couldn't they have landed in the Eighth? I was in the middle of kicking Toga's ass and everything!"

"You can save the fighting for later. If those Ryoka get away it's _all_ our asses on the line," a new voice said.

"Yes, boss," a few of them chorused.

The group passed by quickly after that having not even noticed Rukia and Ganju. Both still waited a few more seconds before moving again, heading back on the track that Ganju set, crossing the street that the small squad had been through just before quickly and quietly.

"You know where we're going, right?" asked Rukia in a hushed tone.

He sighed, "Not really. I'm not even sure where we are."

"Then…" Rukia stopped in her tracks. She leaned against the nearest wall, trying not to sink fully to the ground in in sheer frustration. "What do we do?" Ganju shrugged.

"I'd say we find the others, but I'm not really sure how. Kukaku really wasn't kidding when she said this place was fucking huge."

"That's comforting," Rukia muttered. "That's not really an answer, though. Do we try to find Ichigo? Do we just stay out of sight? What?"

Pursing his lips, Ganju said, "I guess we can…Wait!"

"Wait?" Rukia asked. "I'm not sure what good that'll do us."

"No, no, no, I think I figured out where we are." He turned fully to her. "You know what Divisions are, right?"

"Kind of," she said with a shrug. He seemed to think that was good enough.

"I think we're in the Eleventh," he said. "You won't find any muscle heads like the group that just passed us before anywhere else."

"Is that a good thing?" Rukia asked with a raised eyebrow.

With a grimace, Ganju resolutely shook his head.

"We go south, and we'll meet my brother who wants to kill you. Go north, and we'll run into the Third Division who has a Captain that's even worse. Go east and we get taken down in moments by those crazy ninjas from the Second."

"Go west and we hit a wall," Rukia finished with a frown.

"Exactly."

"Then staying out of sight's basically our only option."

Nodding solemnly, Ganju said, "Let's just hope that Yoruichi finds us before someone else does."

Somehow, Rukia didn't think it would be that easy.

Part III

Far away from Rukia and Ganju, Renji was kneeling at the base of a tree puking up a whole lungul of lake water. A meter or so behind him Ishida was lying flat on his back, panting and soaked to the bone.

"Ugh," Renji groaned, "I think I landed weird." The words quickly sent him into another coughing fit. He felt fucking miserable.

"Shut up," Ishida panted dragging himself into a sitting position, "before your nagging gets us caught."

"If anything's going to get us caught it's you," Renji bit out after the fit passed. "You sound like a goddamn asthmatic."

Ishida didn't say anything back. He just flipped him off before bringing himself to his feet.

"Get up," he eventually said. "We should go deeper into the forest. It should give us some cover."

"Should" didn't sound too sure but considering how Renji could hear people in the distance calling out how about searching the lake it was worth a chance.

They ran into the trees, escaping being spotted by the skin of their teeth. They ran in no particular direction, avoiding any stray Shinigami and trying to stick to where the foliage was thickest. Eventually, they were alone, or at least alone enough to openly complain at each other.

"I can't believe I'm here with you of all people," Ishida said with a scowl.

"Hey, it's not like you were my first choice! I just grabbed whatever was closest to me."

"And that happened to be my leg. Thanks for that, by the way. I'm still sore."

Renji growled. Goddamn prick.

They trudged along, a little dryer than they were when they first crash landed but no happier. After enough of this, stomping unhappily in the forest, the thick foliage became sparse again. They were reaching a clearing.

"Up ahead," Ishida whispered.

They had reached buildings, finally, though these were a bit different from the ones in the village. They looked like if military bunkers were made by people a couple hundred years ago, but that was far from the most important thing he saw. Two Shinigami were in the distance, milling bout, perfectly visible.

"We're going to have to make it through there undetected," Ishida continued.

"Well, I figured that much."

The archer ignored his sarcasm, continuing, "After that we'll need to find the others and regroup."

Renjii scoffed, "You were paying attention, weren't you? This place is huge. I doubt we could just find them like that."

"I'm not saying we wander indefinitely, idiot. We just have to…make it up as we go along." As he said this he shifted around uncomfortably. "Playing it by ear" didn't really seem to be Ishida's style, and it became quickly obvious to Renji that he was uncomfortable with the very idea.

"What if we just headed towards that?" Renji said, pointing up and ahead.

His eyes were trained on a set of buildings, much taller than any others. They were far away, but large enough that they were clearly visible, even from this distance. Renji may not have been the best judge of of itt, but they looked like they'd take about a day or so to reach by foot.

Ishida shook his head resolutely answering, "Those are likely government facilities. We'd get caught."

"Exactly!" When Renji exclaimed this, Ishida looked at him like he'd grown a second head.

"Have you lost it, Abarai? I said we'd get caught."

"I'm not talking about that," Renji insisted. "I'm talking about the 'government building' part. What kind of building do you think Ichigo's at right now?"

Ishida paused for a moment, considering. Then, realization dawned on him. "He'd be in some sort of holding cell, likely, there," he said, glancing back at the towers. "And Yoruichi might head there after he's finished with the contact… _might_."

"It may not be perfect…"

"But it's all we have to go on," Ishida admitted. He didn't look too happy about it, either. "Okay, we'll head there. Hopefully the others will have thought of the same thing, and hopefully Yoruichi will have found us before somebody else can."

Renji was optimistic, and feeling a little bit smug, but somehow, he couldn't shake the feeling that it wouldn't be that easy.

Part IV

Yoruichi had a much smoother landing than the others. Gracefulness was a bit of a specialty, after all. That amongst other things, anyway. Sadly, those didn't include preventing things from going wrong at the most inopportune of times.

The cat let out a silent sigh. Everyone one was scattered across the Seireitei, just as Kukaku had feared, and well, even the best had trouble tracking down individuals in the sea of Reishi that was the Soul Society. Luckily, Yoruichi was the best, but there were other things that had to be taken care of first.

The mission was priority. Ichigo's life was on the line, and the best place to start the mission was with the contact. The others could take care of themselves for a while.

Besides, sitting at the top of a pillar deep in the Seireitei, Yoruichi felt a twinge of nostalgia.

 _It has been a while, hasn't it?_

The cat smirked before diving down.

Part V

Gin Ichimaru smiled as he left the Emergency Captain's Meeting. Oh, this day had become far more interesting than he could have imagined, and he was relishing in it.

Of course, this day wasn't wholly unexpected. There was always the chance that someone would come running after Ichigo, but he certainly hadn't imagined that they would be this dramatic about it, explosions, light show and all.

Everything about this, from how they had bursted in without warning to how Kenpachi had rushed out of the room the first chance he got with a wild grin on his face, why, it made him absolutely giddy.

Sadly, there wasn't much he could do about that now. He had an assigned post after all, as well as quite the part to play later. He barely spared his Lietenant a glace as they walked in step back to their Division.

Oh, this week was going to be fun.

Part VI

Ichigo could pinpoint the exact moment that the Cannonball hit the barrier. It wasn't that his dulled senses could feel it, but rather the sheer chaos that unfolded around him that cued him in.

Guards and other officers on the outside of his holding cell began scurrying around, panicking, and saying things about Ryoka, intruders. They yelled about posts, and about protocols. It was a little difficult to make sense of it all, at first.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked the nearest one with a scowl and the most commanding presence he could manage from the inside of a cell.

The man seemed nervous about answering, but quickly gave in, saying, "There appear to be intruders. We're searching for them as we speak, sir."

"I figured that much," Ichigo scolded. "Who are they? Have any been identified?"

"We're not sure," the officer admitted, "but apparently there was an unauthorized use of a Senkaimon yesterday, so whoever it is, they're from the World of the Living."

Ichigo took a step back from the bars after that.

"Dammit," he cursed to no one in particular. The officer probably assumed that the former Lieutenant was worried about the Soul Society, but really, his mind was on other things.

He never wanted anyone to come for him. He just wanted to face his crimes in peace, not drag anyone down with him. A part of him wanted to jump for joy. Rukia was alive. This was proof, because really, who else would do something like this, but another part of him…

Helping Rukia had been a choice he had make, one he still didn't regret, and one that she shouldn't have to suffer for, not her, and not those friends of her's. (He wasn't an idiot, he knew they wouldn't leave her alone if she were coming here, and if he had to guess, his aunt was _definitely_ involved in this.)

So, here he was, sitting in a cell, knowing that people he cared about were putting themselves in harms way to get him back, and knowing that the chances of them succeeding were slim to none. Death for all of them was the most likely outcome, but perhaps it wasn't the only one?

Behind bars, Ichigo listened for any new information he could get, asking whenever the guards seemed to have some kind of new revelation. It was tedious, he felt powerless, but for one he didn't feel completely in the dark, waiting for death. As long as no one reported any captures, he could maintain hope.

"Captain, sir! What are you–!" one of the officers exclaimed just out of Ichigo's line of sight.

"I'm just here to see my son," Isshin said, and he sounded serious. Goat-chin sounding serious was never a good thing under any circumstances. Ichigo had no choice but to wait not-so-patiently for his dad to stop in front of his cell and when he did, Ichigo saw that he looked as grim as he sounded.

His father gulped, shifting slightly.

"I…" Isshin started. His words seemed to get caught in his throat. It took a moment for him to continue. "I've been speaking with Central 46 about your case," he finally said. "They haven't responded yet, but hopefully we'll be able to smooth this all over."

Ichigo didn't respond to Isshin. He felt like he just had nothing to say. He knew his dad had been speaking with Central 46, and he knew that was never going to get them anywhere. His dad knew this, too.

"Until, then, though," he continued, "I'm going to help find the Ryoka." Ichigo snapped up at that, eyes widening.

"Wait, you can't do that, I–!" Isshin held up a silencing hand. Whatever words Ichigo was trying to rush out died on his lips.

"Whether you acknowledge it or not, that girl is why you are here. She carries some of the blame, and for that, I'm going to find her."

Ichigo let out an unsteady breath, processing the words. There had to be something he could do to convince his dad otherwise. Maybe he could give him a good kick in the face. Maybe his dad would just suddenly break into a smile and say he was kidding all along.

This time, goat-chin wasn't kidding, though. He could tell, just by looking in his eyes exactly how serious he was, and Ichigo understood why. If their roles were reversed, he isn't convinced he'd be doing any differently.

So, Ichigo just stayed silent. He let his dad turn away and leave because he was behind the bars and his dad wasn't. He stopped asking the guards questions. He stopped paying attention to the chaos surrounding him. His helplessness turned to hopelessness, a feeling that was becoming more and more familiar by the minute.

* * *

 **Things are finally picking up, here in more ways than one! If you've been enjoying this story feel free to review and tell me how you feel. (Or if you have some criticism, or just want to say hi. It's all good.)**

 **Because, yeah, your reviews give me life!**


	18. XVIII

**New characters! Fight scenes! Other! Cool! Shit!**

* * *

Part I

Either they had been incredibly lucky thus far or evading the Eleventh Division Shinigami was way easier than it should have been. This was what Rukia thought when she and Ganju were ducking away from another squadron of five. The group passed by, not noticing a thing.

"I can't believe it," she whispered. "Can they even sense us?"

Eyes scanning the area, Ganju let out a chuckle, saying, "Probably not. These guys from the Eleventh aren't the brightest."

 _No kidding._

"Well, if the rest of the Shinigami are like them, this mission will be a whole lot easier than I thought," she said with a grin.

Ganju answered distantly, "Yeah." He seemed too focused on the alleyway they were currently hidden in to really respond. It took Rukia a second to realize what he was looking at, but when she did, her hand went immediately to her Zanpakuto.

He was looking at a door, right in the wall, scrutinizing it. Rukia couldn't feel anything on the other side, but was it possible he was sensing something that she didn't?

He walked closer to it, silently, eventually coming near enough to press his ear right against it. Then, his face broke out into a grin.

"Empty!" he cheered quietly. With a turn of the knob he opened the door.

"Is there a reason we're going in?" asked Rukia with a sigh. She dropped her hand from her Zanpakuto.

"Yeah, lunch," Ganju snorted. He walked into the room with a spring in his step, and Rukia really had no choice but to follow.

"I guess I could go for lunch," she said, exasperation in her voice.

What they walked into wasn't much of a room, per say. It was more of a closet, a dusty, bug ridden, and poorly lit closet, with training dummies and wooden swords stacked haphazardly along walls and in corners. After closing the door behind them, Ganju used one of the newer looking dummies to wedge the it shut, the action itself putting Rukia on edge.

The idea of staying in a small room with only one exit while they were on the run didn't seem like a smart one to Rukia. In fact, it seemed like one of the worst ideas she'd even heard, but…

She bit her lip as her stomach let out a quiet growl and stifling a blush, she plopped down onto the ground the second Ganju started unwrapping his pack.

When he revealed a bundle of wrapped rice balls, her mouth started watering.

"You hungry, Ruk?" Ganju asked jokingly, and she realized that maybe she was looking a little _too_ intently.

"It's not my fault I missed breakfast," she mumbled, grabbing for the rice ball nearest to her. She tried very carefully not to embarrass herself again. They were decent, filling at the very least, and probably a godsend considering all that's already happened in this first morning. Still, she felt a bit bad eating them.

Her friends were god knew where and here she was enjoying a lunch break. Ganju was the only one with the supplies, the only one with any food, and she was the only one lucky enough to get dragged away with him. The others were probably just going hungry.

Suddenly, the rice tasted like sand in her mouth. Still, she kept on eating. It wasn't like letting this food go to waste would be any better.

"Hey, you alright?" Ganju asked after popping a pickled plum into his mouth.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking." In one last large bite she finished off her final rice ball right before standing up. She stretched her arms out above her head, and said, "We should get going."

For a moment, Ganju's eyes widened in surprise as he started quickly wolfing down the last of his meal. Once every grain of rice was gone, he was wrapping up the evidence and stuffing it back into his bag. All the while he was muttering words through his full mouth that Rukia couldn't quite catch, but it was definitely something about how she "shouldn't rush" him.

"We've been here for too long, anyway," she said with an eyeroll. She was pretty sure she could sense some people nearby. They weren't too close, but she definitely didn't want them getting any closer.

"Don't get your panties in a twist," he mumbled. She ignored him, instead pushing aside the training dummy and pressing her ear against the door.

She couldn't hear anything outside, no steps, no talking, and considering how unsubtle these Shinigami were, she was willing to bet that meant it was safe. Just as Ganju finished tying up his pack, she opened the door. The coast was clear. She stepped out into the alleyway.

"Lucky!" a voice cried out with a cheer, and Rukia froze.

The coast was not as clear as she thought.

With her hand on her sword she glanced up and down the alleyway. There was no one there. No one was down the road, no one was anywhere she could see. Then, she saw Ganju, looking up at the neighboring roof, completely rigid.

"Two of 'em in there, just like you said, Yumichika. I was startin' to get bored, too," the same voice drawled, a certain edge to it.

There were two of them up there, standing on the roof, and before she could get a good look at them, they landed on the ground right in front of her and Ganju. She took half a step back in reflex.

They were an odd pair, two men, looking to be in their early twenties (though she knew that didn't mean much here).

"Lucky! Today's my lucky day!" the one on the left continued to cheer, a too-wide grin on his face.

He was tall, probably about as tall as Ichigo or Renji, and completely bald. He had red markings at the corners of his eyes, and a loose yet predatory way of holding himself, like a lion biding his time before he's ready to pounce.

The so far quiet man next to him was much more delicate looking. He was thin with silky black hair that reached his chin. His uniform seemed to be modified somewhat with a high orange collar and sleeve. He looked down at the two, a subtle smirk on his face full of amusement and something that she couldn't quite parse.

She wasn't sure which of the two was stronger, couldn't be sure by just a glance. All she knew is that they were trouble. Using her thumb, she popped her sword out of its sheath a couple of centimeters, waiting.

Surprisingly one of them didn't attack at that. The bald one instead started doing some weird dance involving precise footwork, toneless singing, and what looked like strange parodies of battle stances. Rukia could only look on in confusion and mild horror.

"We should probably run," Ganju whispered over her shoulder.

"Where?!" she whispered back.

"I don't know!" he admitted. "I just don't want to fight these guys."

"Neither do I, but can we even outrun them? Don't Shinigami have Flash Step? Besides," she said, giving the two another once over, "I don't see any White Haori or any Lieutenant badges, so, I think we could take them."

"They're strong! You can sense it as well as I can!"

"Hey," interjected the bald one, suddenly much closer than he was before. "What are you two arguing about?"

Rukia flinched back, mouth firmly shut. What was with these guys?

"Eh, it doesn't really matter," he said with a shrug. "We're gonna beat you anyway, so go ahead and talk."

"If we wait too long, though" the prettier one argued, "someone else may come along and steal our kill."

Oh great, Rukia always wanted to be some weirdo's "kill."

"Good point!" the bald one said with a smile. "Okay, how about I give you until the end of next dance to finish arguing."

"That's it, I'm running!" Ganju yelled.

"Wait, don't just–!" Rukia cut herself off. He was already sprinting in the other direction, kicking up dust.

"Yumichika!" the bald one called.

"Got it." The other, Yumichika, apparently, took after Ganju in an instant. The two were out of sight in seconds.

"Did he really just…" Rukia trailed off. Well, she sure felt abandoned.

"Oi, girl!" Rukia stiffened, her attention on the only Shinigami remaining. "Why didn't you run? I'm guessing Big Guy over there noticed we were strong and took off, so why didn't you?"

Rukia wasn't sure if she should answer, and for about the second time today, it struck her that these Shinigami sure were…chatty when it came to their enemies.

Still, she eventually answered with, "I could sense you and your friend, too. I figured if you two were that strong you'd be able to catch me."

The bald Shinigami raised and eyebrow at that, seeming interested at the statement, though he didn't say anything.

With a gulp, she continued, "I also thought that if I were smart enough, I just might be able to kick your ass."

That gained a much stronger response. The man busted out laughing, hard enough that he had to clutch his sides, and Rukia almost felt offended. Sure, it was a decent quip, but was it really _that_ funny?

"I can't really tell if that was smart of you, or dumb of you, girlie," he said between laughs, "but it sure did remind me of someone."

Rukia didn't respond. She just grit her teeth and stared him down. He could only talk for so long. Eventually something had to give. She was still his "kill," after all.

It happened in the span of a moment. It was barely a twitch of movement, too fast for her to process, but suddenly he was rushing her, sword in hand. She dodged out of pure instinct, jumping to the right, watching as his blade went wide. His next blow was blocked by a drawn Sode no Shirayuki, but she found herself shaking under the pressure.

He kept going after that, "aggressive" not even beginning to cover it, and it wasn't easy to take. Rukia was small, light, and compact. This meant that she was hard to hit, but when he did hit, the effort it took her to keep him from slicing her to ribbons was enormous. He put everything he could behind every strike.

She might be able to work with that, but she wasn't sure how, not yet.

He drew back quickly after that, and she fell back, as well, readying an attack in that moment. He didn't let her, coming in from the right far faster than he should have. For a second Rukia thought he had two Zanpakuto somehow, but no, he was attacking with his sheath of all things.

It wasn't a style she had ever heard of, not that this guy looked like the type to take formal lessons to learn something like that, but it sure was effective.

Just before he could land a blunt hit on her stomach, she dropped to the ground, only to have to block another blow from his blade, turning what would have been a strike straight through the head to a graze on her cheek. She followed through with the created opening, slicing up his arm and into his sleeve before breaking away the instant his other arm began to move.

She tumbled away before he could strike again, landing on her feet, facing him.

"Hey, what's your name?" he asked suddenly. He was standing at the ready, but not attacking, a near gleeful look on his face. Rukia stared at him incredulously. He continued, "Here in the Eleventh, we ask the names of the people we fight. It's an honor thing, a little odd, but I've always liked it."

Rukia relaxed slightly, bringing a free hand up too wipe the blood dripping down her chin.

"Rukia Orikasa," she answered. "Why didn't you ask earlier?" He sure had plenty of time too.

"I had to make sure you were worth fighting, first," he said with a shrug.

"Did I pass?" she asked flatly. The Shinigami looked down at the steadily bleeding cut on his arm, grinning.

"Yep."

Maybe she was a little drunk off the adrenaline, but Rukia couldn't help but crack a smile back. This man enjoyed fighting for the sake of fighting. Sure, she didn't quite understand it, but for some reason his joy was infectious. In a way, he reminded her of someone she knew, too.

"What's your name?" she asked back.

His smile took on a crazed quality at that, and he answered, "Ikkaku Madarame, Third Seat of the Eleventh Division."

He got back into a battle stance at that, sword in his left hand, facing her, and sheath in his right, at his back and at the ready.

In that moment Rukia got the sense that their previous scuffle was little more than a greeting, like a bow or a handshake. Formalities were finally out of the way, and their fight could really start. Yeah, she doubted she was looking forward to it nearly as much as Madarame, but a fight was still a fight, and she'd face this one whole heartedly.

She got into position, fingers tightening around Sode no Shirayuki's cool hilt. She waited.

Part II

Renji and Ishida were just starting the feel the beginnings of hunger when they reached the edge of…whatever Division they were in. They hadn't figured it out yet. Pretty much all the buildings looked the same, but they were starting to reach an archway in a tall wall surrounding them. If they could reach it, they could get just a little closer to their destination, but first they had to go through a wide-open street.

Neither of them was very excited for this.

It had been smooth sailing so far. They had gotten into a few minor fights, but nothing to write home about. Almost every single time Ishida would pull out his bow and get the enemy before anyone could cause a scene. It was actually kind of scary how efficiently Ishida took care of those guys, but hey, Renji wasn't complaining. Well, he was, but not much.

"Come on," Renji whined. "You could at least leave one or two of them for me!"

"And why on Earth would I do that?" Ishida asked in a bored tone.

"Well, for starters…" Renji started confidently, but quickly trailed off. He didn't have much of an answer, really. He didn't want to say it was because they were partners, because that _definitely_ wasn't true, not even now, but…he was just so bored!

"Exactly," Ishida scoffed. "Now, can we finally move on from this?"

Renji was about to give Ishida a piece of his mind, tell him exactly where he could stick that shitty attitude of his, when suddenly the other boy's hand went over Renji's mouth, silencing him. At first, Renji cursed under his hand, ready to slap it away and ask him what the hell his problem was, but Ishida drew his hand away all by himself.

He also drew his bow, aiming at someone that was just barely in the corner of Renji's eye. The archer stayed still after that, waiting for a reason to shoot. Then, the person's eyes met with theirs.

Ishida fired in an instant, but for the very first time, the person on the other end dodged. The arrow missed, and pieces of burnt paper went flying out of the Shinigami's hand.

"What the–?" the man bit out. He didn't have time to say anything else. All he could do was draw his Zanpakuto and dodge another one of Ishida's arrows.

Finally, a chance for Renji to fight! With a grin he activated his Fullbring powers and went charging in.

The Shinigami was a pretty big guy, kinda intimidating looking, too. He had dark curly hair, dark skin, and looked about their age. He was light on his feet, despite his size, and dodged Renji's kicks and strikes well, backing away any time he tried to get in close. All the while, he kept an eye on Ishida, ducking out of the way whenever he could. He only got grazed once or twice.

The guy was amazing! Still, he wouldn't last long. Renji could tell from here that he was already tiring.

Renji had to quickly rethink this when the guy said in a quiet voice, "Rise, Fuerza de Gigante."

Shit, the guy had a Shikai.

Renji had no choice but to back off for a moment as the Shinigami's Zanpakuto changed. Even Ishida stopped firing for a moment, wary of the change and unsure of where to go from here. He actually looked like he was considering running for a second, eyes darting around before the finally settled back on the big guy.

His Zanpakuto didn't turn into another weapon like Renji was expecting, not exactly, anyway. It almost looked like armor, black and red covering his right arm and radiating power that even Renji could feel.

Renji immediately went on the defensive, dodging his opponent's measured swings. He could somewhat block it with his spikes, but the guy's strength was enough that he felt the blows anyway. Add that with how his armor seemed to more or less deflect Ishida's arrows, and suddenly they were losing.

"Haven't lost yet," Renji whispered to himself. This guy wasn't using any special techniques. He was basically just boxing, and Renji could deal with that.

The guy was in a classic guarding stance, fists close to his body, waiting for the next strike. When he raised an arm to block another arrow from Ishida aimed at his head, Renji crouched down, ready to slam the spike on his shoulder into the guy's stomach. The Shinigami's eyes widened, noticing the move, and he jumped back, ducking against an arrow and swinging a leg in Renji's direction. He caught Renji right in the chest.

For a while, Renji was on the ground, ears still ringing from the blow, and unsure if he managed to hit anything with his move. A smile crawled on his face when a Hakama clad leg came in to view with a large gash down the side.

Renji swung his legs up, aiming for the new weak spot and with a cry, the giant came crashing down, an arrow getting past his defenses moments before he reached it. He didn't get back up.

Wiping the dirt from his face, Renji brought himself back to his feet, swaying for a moment and then steadying. He deactivated his spikes and looked down at their fallen opponent.

"You kill him?" Renji called back to Ishida.

"I don't think so," he answered, deactivating his bow. "It wasn't a direct hit."

Sparing one last look at the guy, Renji thought that was probably for the best. The Shinigami was actually pretty good, and they weren't murders, anyway. As long as he wouldn't be able to follow them when they ran off, it was good enough.

"Our destination is still very far away," Ishida said, regaining Renji's attention. "We shouldn't be dawdling, not while we still have a mission to complete."

"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to remind me. I want to rescue Ichigo just as bad as you, four-eyes." He's pretty sure he heard Ishida say something under his breath at that, but just this once he let it slide.

He turned away from the fallen Shinigami and followed Ishida out of the street and through the archway.

In the meantime, Chad lay on the ground, dazed, but still hearing every word the Ryoka said. If they really were here to rescue Ichigo…

He would find them again, no matter what.

Part III

Madarame was the first to attack.

He came in close, striking with the sword in his left hand, following through with the sheath in his right. It almost made Rukia feel like she was fighting two people instead of one. Each strike had just as much power as the last, and that made deflecting two in quick succession rather difficult.

Only when she literally hit a wall, back first, did she remember that she was stuck in a narrow alleyway. She knew that if she had any hope of wining it lied in getting to more open space.

 _Or at least higher ground._

Dodging right and ducking down she slipped past Madarame, and using the close walls as leverage, she jumped to the roof top. She stood there brandishing her Zanpakuto, a silent challenge. He followed quickly.

This time, she attacked first, meeting his crossed weapons and going at him calculatedly. He had already gotten a hit to his left arm, so she knew it would be weaker. If she pressed him on that side, eventually she'd get somewhere.

"You're not bad for a rookie," he commented, dodging another one of her blows.

"How do you know I'm a rookie?" she asked, pausing. He attacked in that moment, stabbing at her and pushing her off the rooftop they were on and onto the next one. She landed shakily on her feet.

"Because!" he answered, striking at her again, "not only did you just stop attacking with an enemy right in front of you, earlier you took a hand off your weapon to wipe blood off your face. That's a rookie move if I've ever heard one."

Rukia pushed back against him, going low and getting him off balance, almost off balance enough to fall off the roof, but he steadied himself before he could fall, spinning around to face her. Slightly self-conscious, she wiped the blood off her chin again, this time using her shoulder.

"You shouldn't be constantly swiping the blood off," Madarame scolded. He then turned his sword, hilt up, holding it out in front of him. "What you should be doing is finding a way to get the bleeding to stop!"

With his thumb he "uncapped" the pommel of his sword, and with a finger took out a generous glob of what looked like ointment. He slathered it over the wound on his arm, one that she personally knew was quite deep, but the second he applied it the bleeding stopped.

"You just carry that around in your Zanpakuto?" Rukia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, don't say it like that! I'm just thinking ahead, is all! It's how I got this far in the first place!" he defended. Then, with grit teeth he asked, "What about you, anyway?"

"About me?"

"Yeah, how'd you get this far?"

Honestly, Rukia had no idea.

Madarame continued for her, "I doubt it was just by instinct, that doesn't seem to be your thing." Rukia frowned. He almost sounded like he was insulting her, but at the look he just scoffed. "I can see it on your face, you're always thinking about everything. So, how'd you get this far? You got a teacher or something?"

 _Or something,_ Rukia thought with a sardonic smile. Seriously, though, she wasn't sure if she was allowed to answer. Then again, she didn't remember that being against the rules, and this guy didn't seem like the blabbing type.

"It wasn't for long," she started, "but I was taught by Kukaku Shiba."

Madarame seemed to contemplate this for a second, testing the name on his tongue.

"Huh, I don't know a Kukaku," he finally said, "but I know the name Shiba. If your teacher was a Shiba than that's reason enough."

As he said this, he held his sword and his sheath in front of him. He held them together end by end.

"It's reason enough to go all out! Grow, Hozukimaru!"

Rukia didn't pay much attention to the transformation. She was too busy worrying about what it could mean for her that this man had a Shikai. Almost automatically, she activated her own with a cry of "Dance! Sode no Shirayuki!" The power that flooded through gave her some assurance.

Madarame didn't look surprised when he saw her Shikai. If anything, he looked as though he were expecting it. Seeing his, she felt weary. It was a long spear with a red horse hair tassel. Sure, it was simple looking, but considering the last Shikai she had come into contact with could spit fire, she wasn't dumb enough to underestimate it.

When Madarame attacked with the spear, his fighting style suddenly made a lot more sense. He was a deft hand with it, striking with the blade and following through with the staff, occasionally spinning it overhead with a flourish, all to keep an unpredictable rhythm.

Still, it wasn't perfect, and Rukia could see the cracks. His attacks were slower in this form, and his windup just a half second longer due to the larger size of the weapon. In that half second, she was sure that she could freeze him and end it.

She struck down, aiming right at his shoulder, and watched as he brought up the spear to block. She had the command on her lips at that moment, readying a White Ripple when the spear suddenly did the most absurd thing. It broke.

"Heh, you thought my Hozukimaru was a spear, didn't you?" Madarame said with a laugh. He held up the two broken pieces of the spear, far too clean to be coincidence. "Nope! It's actually a Sensetsukon, a three-piece Nunchaku."

With a gulp, Rukia realized that she was right in the middle of that three-pieced Nunchaku. The two outer pieces were around her, boxing her in, and coming closer. She went the only direction she could, back, and wasn't too surprised when the business end of the not-spear sliced her upper arm open.

She hissed, resisting the urge to clamp a hand over the wound as she moved back to another rooftop. This was bad. She was losing ground, here.

 _Maybe I can use that to my advantage._

While Madarame began to approach, she readied her attack, getting into position and ignoring the burning pain in her shoulder as she maneuvered her arm.

She yelled out, "Second Dance! White Ripple!" and aimed right where Madarame was, midair. He bolted right at the last moment, the very second his foot touched the roof. His eyes widened.

The horsehair end of the spear was frozen solid, and shock was plain on his face as it begun to crumble before his very eyes.

"So, that's what you are," he said, "a Kidō-type."

Rukia wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, but she wouldn't say as much. She still had a fight to win. There was time to ask questions later.

As it turned out, firing her attacks from close range was near impossible, and Madarame was very much a close-range fighter, and a relentless one at that. Even with a piece of his Shikai cracked and missing, he was still going. She tried trapping him in a "First Dance, White Moon" a few times, but not only was he moving too quickly for her to catch him anywhere, she just couldn't make a circle big enough in time. Still, being pushed back so close to the edge of the roof and trying to stay alive under his volley, she felt like she had made some progress.

His Zanpakuto wasn't perfect. It was actually pretty fragile, from what she could tell. She was able to freeze one part of it, so how could she take care of the rest? As she was dodging, she tried to think of the answer to this question. She knew there had to be a way.

She blocked once more and watched as her blade caught against the chain that connected the broken end of the spear to the middle. She tumbled out of the way before the blade end could take her head off and walked away with a shallow cut to the side of her neck. Not bad, but far too close.

At least she had a plan, now.

She knew it wouldn't be too hard once she got everything in place. She'd gotten pretty good at controlling her own Reiatsu and power, after all. She punctured the ground in front of her, preparing an attack while retreating. Now, all she had to do was wait.

Madarame was unpredictable and creative, but his attacks all had more or less the same idea behind them, so it was more fate than luck when she was forced to block again, her blade wedged between the spear end and middle section of his Nunchaku. The next part required precision.

"White Ripple!" she called out before he had the chance to move back. Before the attack could launch, he managed to move back some distance, but she knew that wouldn't be enough.

The attack hit its mark, breaking right through the chain, breaking that blade piece of the Zanpakuto off entirely. The man looked shocked for a moment, holding the quickly freezing pieces in his hands. The shock turned to pain when the attack continued right into his stomach. He landed on the ground below, stumbling, though staying on his feet.

She landed down near him. With one look, she lowered her Zanpkuto.

"What, you think you've won?" he asked with a chattering grin

"You can barely stand, much less attack. The fight's over."

"That's what you think!" Madarame yelled, suddenly coming at her with all his remaining strength, wielding the broken pieces of his Zanpakuto.

With a scowl, she waited for him, and with a cry she met his strike at full force, breaking through the blade end of his Zanpakuto. It crumbled in his hands. He collapsed on the ground soon after.

"See," she said to him, though she wasn't sure if he could hear her, "the fight's over."

She sheathed her Zanpakuto, considering going off to help Ganju. If his opponent was even half as strong as hers, he just might need it.

Then again, she did trust that he could take care of himself. Besides, she wasn't in the greatest condition to be helping someone right now, even if "the other guy looked worse."

She looked back down at Madarame. He was clearly unconscious, though he did seem to be breathing. His Zanpakuto was back to its original form, perfectly whole again, and she couldn't help but think that it was fitting for a guy like this to have a weapon so resilient.

 _Yeah, a guy like this._

He was a dancing weirdo, a fighting nut, and he wanted to kill her, but somehow, she felt bad just leaving him here. It would probably kill him. Sode's ice was dangerous, after all, even in small amounts. With a sigh, Rukia decided she'd at least see what she could do for him.

She kneeled down by him, and with a heave begun to turn him over onto his back. She was forced to stop the moment her shoulder cried out in protest, nearly dropping him. Letting him down slowly, she thought that maybe this would be harder than she thought.

Madarame's Zanpakuto caught her eye in that moment, and she suddenly thought that maybe there was a way after all.

It wasn't too hard wrestling the cap off the end of the hilt, and once she rolled up her sleeve an applied a good amount of the ointment, she almost sighed in relief. Apparently, it did a lot more than stop bleeding. It was a pain reliever, too. She quickly applied some on her cheek and neck, as well, and after that there wasn't much of it left, but she figured she could take the rest from here.

This time, Rukia had much more success in turning him over. He wasn't small by any means, so there was still some effort involved, but it was a little easier this time. Once he was on his back, she was able to get a better look at him.

He didn't look too bad, at least not at first. The only wounds he had were ones that he had already taken care of, and the wound on his stomach, which wasn't bleeding at all. Over a superficial looking wound was ice and frost, slowly spreading, and laying a hand over him she could tell his temperature was much lower than it should have been, and rapidly dropping.

She knew how to make things cold, but she didn't know how to reverse it. All she knew was that she didn't want to kill this guy.

"Right now, the center of that wound is below zero."

Rukia's eyes snapped up from Madarame. Right across from her was Sode no Shirayuki, and in an instant she relaxed, though she didn't let her guard down completely.

"Are you going to help him?" asked Rukia carefully.

"I don't really care about helping _that_ ," she said snidely, "but this is a good opportunity for a lesson." Whatever justification her Zanpakuto gave, Rukia would take it.

Sode continued, "My attacks can often cause issues. When you attack in quick succession the air around can become too cold, and with that my power becomes a double-edged sword, in a sense. You must learn to reverse these effects."

"How do I do that?" Rukia asked. Sode came closer to her, leaning over Ikkaku. She grabbed Rukia's hand in her icy grip and placed it over the wound.

"Draw your Reiatsu out from the wound and back into me."

Okay, that sounded simple enough. With a deep breath, Rukia closed her eyes, and pushed her senses down into Madarame. She found little pieces of Reiatsu that felt out of place, that felt more like hers than his, and dragged them out, going slowly and carefully. She must have been going too slowly because after a while Sode was letting out impatient little sighs and mutterings next to her.

"That's enough," her Zanpakuto eventually said. "His body can probably take care of the rest."

"Wait," Rukia urged, "what if…" She trailed off. Sode had already vanished, the feeling of her hand gone.

That left Rukia alone with an unconscious man, one who had just tried to kill her, one who's life she had hopefully just saved…probably. Even when she was being helpful, Sode no Shirayuki still managed to be a bitch somehow, didn't she?

Honestly, Rukia wasn't sure what she could do, here, if there was even anything left for her to do. Sure, she wanted to ask him some questions, but she had no idea when he'd wake up, if he'd wake up.

The answer to the latter question ended up being yes. The answer to the former ended up being _now._

Madarame's eyes blearily opened in that moment. He didn't seem entirely aware at first, foggy eyes darting around as he started coughing heavily.

When his eyes cleared, he looked right down at his mostly-healed wound and then at her.

"How the…what the hell?" he asked weakly to no one in particular.

"I froze your core," Rukia explained. "You'll be a bit groggy for a while."

"That's not what I mean," he said with an eyeroll. "I'm asking how the hell I'm still alive. I thought you killed me." He said this with a certain insistence in his voice, one that made Rukia a bit frustrated.

"I didn't really want you dead. You were the one that attacked me, remember," she pointed out.

"That still doesn't explain it!"

With a huff, Rukia said, "I unfroze your wound. That was it. Happy?" At that, Madarame let out a loud groan of frustration.

"Seriously!" he cried. "Saved by the enemy! Me!" Rukia just rolled her eyes. "I swear if I could move right now…" He didn't finish the threat. He just let out a long sigh of defeat and slumped back against the ground, staring up at the sky.

Rukia stayed right next to him with a scowl refusing to move. He looked back at her with a glare.

"Fuck off already," he said with a wave of his hand. "You beat me, 'remember?''

"Oh what, you think I'm staying here for your glowing conversational skills?" Rukia asked, arms crossed. "I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions, that's all."

Madarame leveled an incredulous stare at her. He sighed, throwing up his hands and saying, "Ask away girlie."

She scowled, sitting back on her heels, though it may have looked more like a pout.

"To start off," she said, "you should know that I'm here on a rescue mission. I'm here for Ichigo Shiba."

Madarame choked.

"Are you serious?" He asked this with a laugh so hard he started coughing again. Once it calmed down, he continued, "You're here for Shiba? You and that big guy that was with you?"

"Yes," Rukia said carefully, "him and a few others. Why is that so funny?"

"Trust me," Madarame said, still suppressing giggles. "If you knew what you were getting yourself into, you'd be laughing, too. All of you dragged your asses here just for some doomed Shinigami. It's so admirable it's stupid. Do you even know where he is?"

"Well, not exactly," Rukia admitted.

He laughed even harder, and Rukia was currently considering the merits of punching the wounded in the nose.

"Listen," he finally said, "I don't really care who you're looking for or why, but since you beat me, I'll at least tell you where to look for Shiba."

Rukia's ears perked up at this. They were finally getting somewhere!

He continued, "Right now, he's probably holed up in some Tenth Squad holding cell but going there's a waste of time. You wanna head to the center of the Seireitei. You'll find a huge white tower there called the Repentance Cell. They'll be dropping him off there any day now, and it'll take you a couple of days at least to get there. You get all that?"

"Yeah, I got it," was what she said, though she felt a little breathless. She finally knew where Ichigo was, or at least where he would be. They could actually say they were headed somewhere, for once. They could find him. "Thank you," she said with a bow.

Madarame looked away with a huff, though he did seem to be blushing a bit.

"Just get going," he said. "Now that the fight's died down this place'll be crawling with Shinigami pretty soon. Go find the big guy and save the princess or whatever."

She had a few more questions to ask, really. She wanted to ask about different types of Zanpakuto, about why he didn't know who Kukaku Shiba was, but she didn't have that kind of time. She could already hear the murmurs of an approaching crowd.

"I really don't know how to repay you," she said quickly. Madarame waved her off, though.

"Eh, I tried to kill you, you save my life, I give you information to save your boyfriend. We're probably even, now."

Rukia wanted to make a very firm comment about how, no, Ichigo wasn't her boyfriend, but she was interrupted by a group of people she saw just barely peeling around the corner. Her time was up.

She bolted, running away from the squadron and to the streets as quickly as she could. She didn't know if she was spotted and she certainly didn't want to wait to find out. All she had time to think about was how she was going to find Ganju and how she was going to tell him all she had just learned. Things were finally changing for the better.

Part IV

A while back it had been decided that the best way to sneak around the Seireitei was to stay in the alleyways of the tightly packed buildings, to avoid major roads, and to stay under the cover of shadow for as long as possible. This ended up being a fair plan. With this place being as sparsely populated as it was, encounters were not common, though they did occasionally happen.

 _Or at least, they were supposed to happen_ , Uryuu thought.

Something was off, had been off ever since they entered this new Division. It was as if all signs of life had disappeared. Where searchers, paper pushers, and even those just going about their day could be found before, there was now nothing. It put the archer on edge.

"You'd think this place would be crawling with 'em," commented Abarai.

"You'd think," agreed Uryuu. "The Shinigami have just been invaded. One would expect to see at least a squadron or two."

"Guess it's our lucky day, then, huh?" Abarai said with a grin. Uryuu didn't quite agree, though he didn't say as much.

"Over there," he said instead, pointing to a signpost just a block ahead. It was just a hunch, but… "We may be nearing the next Division." From here he could barely make out the Kanji for the number two at the top of a banner near the signpost. Was that the Division they were in now?

"We're making good time, then," Abarai said, looking over Uryuu's shoulder. "We might even be able to beat Yorui–!"

He was cut off from breathing another word by a blade pressed against his throat. The second Uryuu moved to activate his bow, he was met with the same.

Apparently, the Shinigami did not rely solely on their Samurai motif. They employed goddamn ninjas, too. At least, that's what the person holding Renji hostage looked like.

They were covered head to toe in black, leaving only their eyes visible, and strangely enough, Uryuu couldn't sense even an ounce of spiritual pressure from them. It was as if they weren't even there.

It made him wonder how long they were really being followed.

Uryuu was silently urged forward by the person at his back by another small blade at the base of his spine. He had no choice but to move forward into the wide-open street that they had been trying so hard to avoid.

Abarai was being a little more resistant than he was, having to be pushed and pulled into the street, cursing and struggling. Uryuu had no idea what he was trying to prove. He did realize that there was a blade at his throat, right?

They were led out to a small group of similarly clad Shinigami, and every single eye was on them, gazing with an intensity that made Uryuu incredibly uncomfortable, though he refused to show it. They were stopped in front of one person that didn't quite look like the others.

She didn't wear a mask. Uryuu could clearly see her scowling face and her dark hair that closely framed it, save for the long wrapped braids that trailed behind her. Her most striking feature, however, was her white Haori.

"Captain Suì-Fēng, what should we do with the Ryoka?" the Shinigami holding Uryuu asked.

She looked at them carefully, somehow managing to look down at them despite being a head or so shorter than them both. She studied them for a moment as if they were particularly interesting rats.

"Take them to the holding cells," she eventually said. "I want to know who they are, what they are, and why they're here by tomorrow."

Uryuu saw the person holding Abarai salute. He assumed his own captor did the same.

"Understood, Captain."

Their chances were not good, not good at all, but it was possible that they could escape. If they could take down their escorts while they were alone, ambush them suddenly–

He felt two fingers at press in at the base of his skull, heard the quiet mutterings of a Kidō spell, and soon after he was slumping back into the arms of the Shinigami behind him, vision darkening. The last thing he heard was the voice of the Captain.

"The rest of you will continue to search. If any other Ryoka so much as breathe in the direction of our Division, I want to know."

He fell unconscious after that.

…

For a while, waking up was like wading through mud. Uryuu opened his eyes feeling groggy and off balance who knows how long later, face flat against a stone floor.

With a quiet groan he pushed himself up on his hands and knees. Damn, he could already feel the bruises forming. Trust Shinigami to not know the meaning of the word "gentle." He took his time in righting himself, sitting back on his heels, finally able to get his bearings.

He was in a cell of some sort, that much was obvious, but there were no bars. It was just smooth concrete and a locked stone door. There wasn't even a window, but a single electrical light dangling from the ceiling and a tiny vent in the corner, probably only there to keep him from suffocating. There was a matt in the near, and no other furniture to speak of.

If he were the joking type, he'd take the time to say something about these were _amazing accommodations_ , but he wasn't, so he didn't.

Instead, he set his sights first on the door, and then on his glove, the Raidenhanto, something that the Shinigami apparently didn't think of taking, something that didn't seem quite right considering how paranoid these people were. They wouldn't even let their "defenseless" prisoner stay conscious on the way to his cell.

Uryuu stood up fully, knowing he had to try. He didn't think they were watching now, though he couldn't be sure. Stepping back, he summoned his bow, and aimed for a specific part of the door, right where he imagined the lock would be on the other side.

His aim wasn't as steady as he would have liked it. He was exhausted, hungry, and still off balance from whatever they did to him, but he didn't need perfect aim or overwhelming power for this. His target was right in front of him.

He fired, and quickly found that to be a mistake.

The second he released the bowstring, the world pitched left, and he went with it. He didn't feel the impact, but he did feel cool stone floor beneath him after he landed and wondered vaguely if he was going to vomit all over it. It took a long moment of just breathing to prevent that.

"That was a bad idea," he told himself. _A very bad idea._

Either something was wrong with the cell or something was wrong with him, but after that he felt like a towel that had just been wrung out. He looked up at the door, to at least see what damage he had done.

It was perfectly intact, he saw, face falling. There wasn't even a scratch on it. It was like he hadn't even fired that arrow, and maybe he hadn't. Putting his head in his hands, he stared at the floor, and only now, being this close to it, did he realize something about it was off.

He was pretty sure he was staring at the same mineral that the walls of the Seireitei were made of, a stone that his Teacher had told him about a long time ago.

 _Sekkiseki_

It's a special rock, only found in the Soul Society as far as he knew. It can create barriers and drain the Reiryoku of those in contact with it. He would have said that he hadn't been in contact with it long enough to cause this strong of an effect, but really, he had no idea how long he'd been here.

Uryuu turned over, laying flat on his back and staring up at the ceiling. He brought his hand in front of him, just to get another good look at the glove.

He could always try _that_. He could just take off the Raidenhanto, unleash hell onto these Shinigami…and then lose everything after.

No, it was only a last resort, one that he had been planning on going the whole mission without ever using. However, if doing nothing meant…

Uryuu didn't want to think about it, not tonight. All he could do was get some rest, try and close his eyes and conserve some energy until they came for him. After he got some rest, he could go back to thinking.

Maybe then, he wouldn't be so damn tired.

* * *

 **Yasutora "Chad" Sado: Fifth Seat - Seventh Division.**

 **(If anyone wants to nerd out about Shōnen Style battles feel free to message me or leave a review because, ya know, they give me life.)**


	19. XIX

**I received a ton of reviews and comments this week alone, and I have to say THANK YOU. You are all just too wonderful for me to even handle!**

 **Now, on with the show! This chapter shouldn't disappoint.**

* * *

Part I

Rukia pressed herself flush against the alley wall, trying to keep her heavy panting as quiet as possible.

 _I think I lost them…_

Resisting the urge to just sink to her knees, Rukia thought over her own rotten luck. Of course, she wouldn't be so fortunate to not be spotted after fleeing from the battle scene. Of course, she would get seen and chased by not one, but two squadrons of Squad Eleven Shinigami.

And of course, they would be the most motivated Shinigami she'd ever met!

These lot were relentless when they wanted something badly enough, and in this case that "something" was her head. Under normal circumstances she'd just turn around and try launching an attack, but she was pretty sure there were at least thirty of them behind her. No one was stupid enough to try something like that.

Then, there was the issue of Ganju who she _still_ hadn't found, and now, being chased this way and that, she doubted if she ever would. That's not even taking into account the fight he probably had. She wasn't even sure if he'd won or not.

She really hated to say it, or to even think about it, but she might just have to leave him behi–

"You can't run forever Ryoka!"

The voice immediately sent Rukia slamming herself back against the alley wall. She didn't see anyone. She didn't think anyone could see her, but just as she started thinking of which direction she should take off to, she spotted a figure rushing by the mouth of the alleyway followed promptly by a hoard of Shinigami a good deal larger than the one chasing her. She recognized that green getup anywhere.

 _Ganju. Of course, it was Ganju._

Letting out a sound somewhere between an exasperated sigh and a pained groan, Rukia brandished her Zanpakuto and took to the rooftops, following the group closely. For a blessed minute she went unnoticed.

"Look it's another one!"

"After her!"

Again: what the hell was wrong with her luck today.

She was at least much happier to hear the next voice that cried out, "Rukia, you came!" Ganju looked close to tears running for his life at the head of the mob. Just as she started to yell something back, a few Shinigami decided to jump on the roof after her. She was ducking attacks before she even managed to get a syllable out.

They came at her from ahead, one from the right and one from the left. She ducked under the joint assault, twisting out of the way and smirking when the two ran headlong into each other with a loud yell.

She wasted no time jumping over the slash of the third one directly ahead and using his face as a springboard (wincing slightly at the audible crack and pained grunt), jumped over the mass of the crowd, landing right next to Ganju.

Ganju, who, now that she thinks about it, hadn't seen her in action before, blinked owlishly for a moment at her.

"How did you even get into this mess?" she asked, yelling over the roar of noise behind them.

"It's a long story!" he yelled back with a grimace. Glancing over her shoulder, Rukia silently agreed.

"Okay," she started, "you take the ones on the right, I take the ones on the left?"

"No way!" he cried, pushing himself forward. Rukia's face fell. Great, it looked like she had no choice.

"Then, I guess I'll just take all of them!" With a yell she turned on her heel, only having a second to prepare before crying out, "White Ripple!"

She aimed point blank at the Shinigami, staying turned around just long enough to see the front few freeze solid, feet rooted to the ground as those behind them let out startled yells. She turned back and kept on running. That would buy them at least a moment or two.

Next to her, Ganju was fiddling with his pouch, digging through it quickly as he muttered things to himself.

"Aha!" With a grin he pulled out what looked like a child's papier-mâché ball, covered in messy ink hearts and about the size of a grapefruit. He pulled out the string tab on top with his teeth before chucking it behind him.

Rukia didn't see the concussive blast that boomed behind her, but she certainly heard it, as well as the pained groans of the Shinigami mob.

"You keep bombs in that pouch?" Rukia asked incredulously. That was the same place he kept the food…

"You really think I'd come here empty handed?" Ganju answered with a grin. His smile fell slightly when he continued with, "That was my last one, though. Pretty boy wasn't exactly easy to take down."

Chancing a glance over her shoulder, Rukia saw that only a few Shinigami were left chasing them, and many were falling far behind.

"Let's see if we can ditch the rest of these guys, then," she panted out.

A few minutes later, the two were practically collapsed against the floor of some underutilized closet, listening as the sounds of enraged Shinigami disappeared into the distance. Finally, some time to catch her breath and recover a bit.

Lying on the ground, Rukia could feel some of her wounds pulling. They itched terribly, though she didn't dare touch them. She was pretty sure that if they were just left alone, she'd be fine soon enough.

Ganju didn't look much better, and Rukia really couldn't help but think that "Pretty boy" was even harder to defeat than Ganju had implied. He was nearly covered head to toe in cuts and bruises. She really wished she had thought to take some of Madarame's ointment with her, or at least asked if he had any extra on hand.

After a long moment of hesitation, she asked Ganju, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, they're just flesh wounds," he huffed out, and then after a shift followed quickly by a stifled groan, "That Ayesegawa was fuckin' vicious."

"What happened, anyway?" she asked quietly. Out of the corner of her eye, Ganju grinned widely, and Rukia realized that they would be here for a while. Hearing Ganju tell his story was as good a way to spend their break as any, though.

Ganju went into detail, describing the intense fight between him and the Shinigami, Yumichika Ayasegawa, a Fifth Seat of the Eleventh Division. He apparently wasn't your average Eleventh Division member. Sure, he had his love of fighting, but he had a much different air than the others. He was calculated, incredibly vain, more than a bit arrogant, and he had single handedly made Ganju go through his entire supply of explosives.

"…In the end I got him with the big guy, my precious invention! I'd been hoping to save it for later, but hey, it got the job done. With one giant explosion I managed to lay him flat. I burned his hair, too! Actually, I think that part freaked him out even more than his injuries…"

The story made Rukia wish she would never have to fight Ayesagawa herself, but hey, at least now she knew where to aim.

"Mine was pretty brutal, too," she said with a grimace.

Without much prompting she went into her own story, though unlike Ganju, she tried to keep it short, rushing to the end to get to the most important part, the information she had received.

She finished, sitting up, with her arms wrapped around her legs, "…He told me that Ichigo would be moved to the Repentance Cell at the center of the Seireitei in just a few days."

Ganju's lips were pursed through all of this. He scratched his chin as she finished, seeming to consider her words carefully. Finally, he said, with a deep frown, "I guess we have no choice, then."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that if we don't want to take a five-day detour, we're going to have to pass through the Second Division."

"…And we don't have that kind of time," Rukia said, face falling. Ganju let out a sigh, and then with a grunt, straightened up.

"We'll just have to be careful then," he said confidently. "This is the best lead we've gotten so far, and we're not going to abandon it just because it seems tough!"

He stood up fully, slinging his pack over his shoulder. Rukia followed him up with a smile. It finally felt like they were getting somewhere.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Are you?" she asked back with a smirk.

"Tch, don't get uppity on me, brat!"

They exited their hiding spot carefully and quietly. Neither were too keen on repeating the last hour, and Rukia felt a small jolt of relief go through her when she realized that no one else was around.

Few words were said as they started moving, Ganju only quietly supplying information about where they'd be headed (East) and how long it would take (a while.)

Trouble reared it ugly head every once in a while in the form of small squadrons of Shinigami, but these weren't much trouble. They were either easy to avoid, or easy to quickly defeat. It certainly helped that while out of bombs, Ganju was by no means helpless, having both what looked like a giant meat cleaver as well as a decent supply of exploding tags.

For once, things seemed to be going alright.

They were sneaking along when they begun to approach another group of Shinigami, the two stopping at the first sign of trouble. Peeking around the corner, Rukia thought that this group was a little different from the others.

The members of this group weren't making aggressive jabs at each other. They were actually quite subdued, walking along quietly and with purpose. Not one of them looked burly and she didn't spot single scar among them. In fact, the person leading them was a gentle looking girl, one that didn't look much older than Rukia. That girl's head turned towards Rukia, just as she was ducking back behind the wall.

"Miss Inoue is something wrong?" asked a soft voice. With a gulp, Rukia placed her hand on her Zanpakuto. It was only a matter of time, now.

"Somebody is nearby," Inoue said calmly. At that, Rukia could hear the quiet _shink_ of a Zanpakuto being drawn from its sheath. She followed suit.

"You have any more exploding tags?" Rukia whispered. Ganju shook his head, though a certain look in his eye told Rukia he had something else up his sleeve.

He crouched down next to her, placing a hand at the base of the building they were leaning against. His palm glowed a bright red, and suddenly with a loud rumbled the building was collapsing in on itself.

Debris and dust were kicked up as pieces of concrete started raining down. The panic was immediate.

"What the heck was that?" one of the Shinigami cried out. The others didn't answer, coughing and struggling to breath through the cloudy air. Now was their chance!

"Tenran!" The word cut clear through the air, and a tornado like wind was kicked up immediately. Rukia was sent back stumbling several meters, squinting through it all. When her vision focused the dust was gone.

Before her stood the leader of the Squadron. She looked pale, her mouth opened slightly as she asked in a quiet voice, "…Ganju?"

"O-Orihime, I…" he stuttered out.

"You two know each other?" asked Rukia.

She didn't get an answer Ganju was far too busy struggling to even form words, starting and stopping to no effect.

"You're the Ryoka?" Inoue asked, confusion plain on her face. "But why, what's…" Her gaze finally focused on Rukia, taking in the human's appearance, everything from her Zanpakuto to her uniform. Realization dawned on her soft features, her hands trembling. It was replaced with something that Rukia couldn't read at all.

"You're it, aren't you?" Inoue asked, gaze still locked on Rukia. Rukia didn't dare answer back. "You're the human that took Ichigo's powers, the reason he's going to be…" her voice choked off in what sounded like a sob.

Then, right before Rukia's eyes, something changed within the girl. She took a deep breath, her hands steadied, and the look in her eyes spoke of only one thing: rage.

"Move forward and meet with Hantaro," she told her Squadron without turning. "I'll take care of this."

The Shinigami all saluted her before hurrying along, all looking incredibly nervous until the moment they left Rukia's sight. It was then that Inoue began.

"Blossom! Shun Shun Rikka!"

Inoue's Zanpakuto didn't simply transform when she activated her Shikai. In a flash of light, it broke apart, splitting into six fragments, leaving only the hilt in her hand. Each piece formed into a metallic butterfly that gleamed blue in the sunlight. They flitted around her, waiting. Ganju cursed, taking a hesitant step back.

"I think we should run from this one," he said quietly.

"She'd not a Lieutenant and she's not a Captain. We could probably take her," she answered back in a low voice.

"That doesn't matter! She's –" He cut himself off with his own strangled grunt as he was pushed harshly into the nearest wall. A glowing orange veil was surrounding his body, two of Inoue's butterflies at the source of it. He visibly struggled behind the barrier, muscles straining, but he could barely even move.

Rukia turned quickly, brining down her Zanpakuto to break it. In the span of a second another two butterflies flew in front of her. Her Zanpakuto bounced off the newly formed barrier harmlessly.

"Nothing can break those shields of hers!" Ganju yelled. "Just go!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"Byakurai!" Inoue cried out. Rukia's eyes snapped to her immediately. Lightning was gathering on the Shinigami's extended hand, and Rukia knew immediately that she had to do something. She feinted left, and slammed shoulder first into another one of Inoue's shields. She moved back, and slammed into another one.

At the very last moment, she jumped up, moving behind the shield, paling as the attack crackled through the air and impacted it with a blinding burst of light. The shield absorbed every last bit.

Rukia was still blinking the spots from her eyes when the shield moved forward, wrapping tightly around her and slamming her onto the ground her Zanpakuto slipping from her hand.

Wheezing slightly, pressed tightly against the ground, Rukia couldn't believe it. She was taken out, knocked flat in under a minute. Sode must be laughing at her right now.

Only her head was outside of this barrier, the remainder of her body kept snugly underneath as she banged her fists against the side, trying desperately to reach her Zanpakuto just outside of it. The sensation of hitting the veil was…strange.

It wasn't like hitting a wall or anything physical, she'd be feeling pain then. Her hand just kind of stopped in midair, held in place by this strange energy Inoue's Shikai was producing.

From above she could see Inoue approaching, hand held out, and eyes hardened. Rukia struggled harder.

Inoue spat out like a curse, "Shakkahō."

Rukia could feel the energy forming at the tips of the Shinigami's fingers, could see the bright red light gathering on the palm of her hand and building up to near blinding levels. She didn't even know what this spell was or what it would do, but she knew that if Inoue released, Rukia would die.

Maybe it was the desperation of the moment, or maybe it was just chance, but Rukia found herself looking Inoue right in the eye, searching for even a glimmer of hope or mercy.

She saw Inoue, face scrunched up in pain, quiet slow tears running from her reddened eyes.

"W-wait, I…I," Rukia eyes were darting rapidly between Inoue's face and her attacking hand. She knew what she had to say, she just had to get the words out! "I'm…" Rukia prayed to god this would work. The attack was just about fully charged. Rukia finally yelled out, all in one breath, "I'm here to rescue Ichigo!"

Inoue released the attack and it went wide of Rukia's head, impacting against a large piece of rubble.

"What?" Inoue's voice cracked at the end of the word.

"Listen," Rukia started with a gasp. She knew she had to make this good and get the whole truth out as quickly as possible. She only had one shot at this.

"I know it's my fault," she continued. "I got Ichigo into this mess because I was weak. He helped me, and now I'm trying to repay him. He's my friend, and if he got killed because of me…" Well, Rukia wasn't really sure what she'd do.

The next thing she knew her restraints were loosening. The butterflies fluttered around, unsure, and when she tried to sit up, they moved with her, hovering but no longer oppressive.

Maintaining eye contact with the Shinigami, Rukia carefully and slowly reached for her Zanpakuto. With slightly shaking hands she placed it back in its sheath and stood up fully.

"You're really trying to save him?" Inoue asked quietly.

"…Yes," Rukia answered simply. "I haven't known him for long, but…"

Inoue let out a brief laugh at that statement, whipping away the last of her tears, like Rukia had just told a joke that only she understood. With that, her butterflies returned to her, slotting back into a proper blade at her side that she promptly sheathed.

"That's just like Ichigo, isn't it?" The Shinigami brought her arms around herself as she said this. In the span of a second, she looked completely drained.

"I'm starting to figure that out," Rukia said carefully. Orihime didn't respond to that. For a long moment she just stared, thinking.

She finally said, "I want to help you."

Rukia stared back in disbelief.

"We certainly need all the help we can get," Ganju said, standing up on shaky legs, using the wall as leverage.

Inoue gave a gentle nod at that, face pinched with what looked like guilt. Then she looked up, eyes staring into the middle distance.

"More Officers are coming this way," she said. "If you two are seen…"

"That's bad news for us," Ganju put together. "Let's get moving."

Rukia had to swallow her momentary shock as they all worked to get away from the destroyed building as quickly as possible. They couldn't get away fast enough, though. Every way they turned new squads, similar to Inoue's, were there, surrounding the area, unknowingly forcing them this way and that. It was only a matter of time before they were caught.

"Damn," muttered Rukia.

"'Damn,' is right," Ganju said, peeking over to yet _another_ squad just around the corner. He looked like he wanted to pull his hair out.

They could hear the squads approaching, low voices talking about how the Ryoka were close by, and here they were in a dead-end alleyway, not one but two squads approaching the mouth of it. With a grimace Rukia braced herself for another fight.

"I have an idea!" Inoue exclaimed suddenly. She ran past Rukia, going to the dead-end of the alleyway, eyes to the ground. When she met the concrete wall, she let out a triumphant, "Ah-ha!"

Rukia wasn't quite sure what the Shinigami was getting at, but she ran after her anyway.

"Ganju, could you help me lift this?" Inoue asked, kneeling down on the ground. With a nod he crouched down next to her, and Rukia finally got a good look at what Inoue was so enamored with.

They lifted a heavy looking iron grate together, heaving it up with a low creak and groan. Rukia looked to the mouth of the alleyway, hand still on her Zanpakuto.

"Come on, Rukia!" Ganju called urgently. When she looked back, he was leaning over the opening in the ground. Inoue was nowhere in sight.

Looking in, Rukia could see what looked like a kind of sewer system, Inoue waving up at her from a concrete walkway. After a moment of hesitation, Rukia climbed down after her, Ganju coming in above her, dragging the grate back over them to cover their tracks. The second the heavy sound of it being put back in its place echoed through the chamber, they two audibly sighed in relief. Inoue, however, held her breath still, though after a moment she relaxed.

"They passed us," she finally said.

Rukia felt like collapsing (again). That was far too close, but at least here they'd be able to let their guard down a bit.

It was just then that the putrid smell hit Rukia. She dragged her collar over her nose. Inoue didn't seem so bothered, and Ganju, he whistled appreciably.

"This sure will help us with time," he said. "Sneaking through side roads kinda sucks."

"I find this is the best way to get around the Seireitei quickly," Inoue said with an enthusiastic nod. "Most Fourth Division members know about these routes, but no one would ever expect Ryoka to." Then blinking inquisitively, she added, "Were you two really just sneaking around alleyways before this? I'm surprised you didn't get caught earlier on."

Rukia and Ganju shared a pointed glance.

"Well," Rukia started, "we…kind of did."

"Yeah," Ganju said with a grimace, "by these two weirdos Madarame and Ayasegawa."

Inoue let out a dramatic gasp before rushing out, "You two went against Madarame and Ayasegawa? Eleventh Division Madarame and Ayasegawa?"

Frowning in confusion, Rukia silently nodded. Inoue's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I guess I shouldn't be so surprised," she said. "You were the one to beat Tatsuki, after all." Inoue winced at her own words, and then looking up to Rukia asked, "You were the one, weren't you?"

"I was," Rukia answered quietly, feeling a bit awkward. Inoue pursed her lips at this, before straightening up, forcing her own sullen look off her face.

"At least you both were alright in the end," she said determinedly. "I'm sure that if we could just get her to see things a little differently…" she trailed off, face falling again.

"Could we do that?" Rukia asked. "Could we convince her?"

Inoue grimaced at Rukia's question, hesitating for a couple of seconds before finally explaining, "Tatsuki can be…stubborn. It'd probably be best if we didn't run into her at all."

Rukia let out a sigh at that. She kind of figured that was the answer she'd get. At least they had Inoue, who seemed like she genuinely wanted to help, and as long as Ganju seemed to trust her, Rukia would let her.

Inoue shrieked out of nowhere, causing Rukia to stiffen immediately, hand going to her blade.

"You two are injured!" she cried suddenly. "We need to stop here and rest so I can heal you. Please sit down!"

Directing the two to sit the concrete, Inoue looked quite flustered, sorting through her pack and muttering to herself.

"I can't believe I didn't notice before," she said. "Hello, it's my job!"

"We're fine," Rukia tried. "We should probably just get going."

"Nonsense," she brushed off. "I'm a member of the Fourth Division, a healer. I can do this much, at least."

"But really, we should–"

"It'll only take a second," she insisted with a smile.

"Now might be a good time to slow down, actually," Ganju said. "Last I saw the sun was starting to set."

Rukia didn't notice as much. Understandably she had been distracted, but she figured it was about right. They had been travelling for a long while.

"Well, maybe a short rest," Rukia said hesitantly. Inoue's smile brightened.

"Start with Rukia," Ganju said with a wave of his hand. "I'm gonna scope this place out."

"Don't wander too far," Inoue warned. "It's easy to get lost here."

Ganju grinned back at her, saying, "I won't, trust me." Inoue pursed her lips at that, but let him go anyway, settling Rukia down into a comfortable spot and kneeling right next to her to get started.

She began by inspecting Rukia's face, zeroing in on Rukia's cheek and tutting as she wiped at the thick ointment still stuck to it.

"This is Madarame's isn't it?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

With a smile, Inoue answered, "Where do you think he got it from, silly?" She pulled a basic wipe from her pack and started gently dabbing at Rukia's face. It registered in Rukia's mind that this girl, almost a complete stranger that just tried to kill her, was uncomfortably close to her. All she could do to stop from squirming was avert her eyes and pretend she was at the doctor's office.

"So," Inoue started with a smile, "What's the name of the human that invaded the Soul Society?"

"Rukia Orikasa." She bit inside of her cheek at the stinging sensation that came with the antiseptic. She held back a flinch when Inoue moved down to her neck without warning. "I'm not the only human here, though. Two others came, friends of mine, Renji and Ishida. Ishida's a Quincy, though, so I'm not sure if he counts."

Inoue paused for a moment. "A Quincy in the Seireitei…" She blinked before continuing her ministrations. "I didn't think there were any of them left." She turned back to her pack, grabbing a jar of…something before coming back to Rukia with it.

"Well," she continued, "I'm Orihime Inoue, but you can call me Orihime."

Rukia's eyes went back to Orihime then, only glancing away when she started applying the substance to Rukia's face.

"Then you can call me Rukia," she said.

Orihime was…beautiful. There was really no way around that. She had thick orange hair that curled slightly at the ends, soft features, and large, open, grey eyes that just kind of sparkled every time she smiled. It almost made Rukia feel a little…inadequate. She felt kind of intimidated, having such a person want to help them so much.

"Won't you get in trouble?" Rukia asked. "For helping us, I mean."

She answered, with a self-depreciating smile, "If you and a couple of humans can come all this way to save someone you've only known for a few months, I think I can do this much." She continued, a bit warmer, "When you said you were going to rescue Ichigo the way you did, it made me rethink a couple of things, mainly that I was being a coward." She applied a plaster to Rukia's face and neck. With a firm pat, she sat back on her heels fiddling with her hands. "I mean, I've known him for all these years, but…I don't know. I guess I was just too scared to try anything on my own."

"It's not like I came here on my own," Rukia said vehemently. "I had help, a lot of help. There's no need for you to be so hard on yourself."

Orihime let out a good-natured laugh at that, shaking her head before saying, "What am I even doing. I need to treat your arm, too."

It took but a few seconds for Orihime to roll Rukia's sleeve up, and once she did Rukia was reminded that this one was a little worse than the rest of her cuts. It was much deeper, hurt a lot more, and Rukia couldn't help but hiss as soon as the wipe made contact.

"That's a nasty one, isn't it," Orihime said with a "tut."

"That's Madarame for you," Rukia huffed out. Orihime simply nodded, cleaning the wound steadily and appraising it once it was clear. It was bleeding steadily again, though not horribly. The wound itself was ugly, if she were in the World of the Living, she'd probably need stitches.

"I think I can fix this for you," Orihime said confidently. Without warning, the other girl dragged out her Zanpakuto, something that Rukia would have recoiled at if Orihime didn't have such a firm grip!

"Blossom, Shun Shun Rikka." Orihime drew out two butterflies from her blade instead of the full six. They quickly formed a small shield, hovering slightly over Rukia's arm, encompassing, but not restraining.

The effect was instantaneous. The pain reduced almost immediately under the glow, and Rukia watched fascinated as the wound knit itself together before disappearing completely. Orihime deactivated her Shikai without a word, and it was like Rukia's arm had never been cut in the first place.

"That's amazing!" Rukia exclaimed, testing her arm, stretching it this way and that. There wasn't a single hint of pain. "Your Zanpakuto can do that, heal?"

Orihime nodded with bright smile, but then paused, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Well, it's not quite healing," she corrected. "Captain Unohana's Shikai heals, mine reforms. It takes Spiritual Particles, moves them around, and manipulates them. I can't actually help new cells grow, so if a wound is too complicated…I have Kidō spells to fall back, anyway."

Rukia thought she understood, but she had to wonder if with a power like that, this girl could be doing a lot more than healing. She didn't have the opportunity to ask, though. Around then, Ganju wandered back.

"There's no one else down here," he reported, "not as far as I can tell."

"No one really comes down here unless there's a problem with the plumbing," Orihime supplied.

Rolling her sleeve back down, Rukia said, "Lucky for us, then."

Ganju nodded in agreement before asking, "'Hime, do you happen to know the way to the Cell of Repentance?"

"Yes," she responded carefully, "though the sewers will only take us to the gate of the First Division."

"As long as we don't have to pass through the Second, that's fine by me," Ganju said, relieved.

Orihime looked genuinely worried at that, looking like she wanted to reproach them for even thinking about such a thing. Without a word, she simply motioned for Ganju to join them on the floor.

She continued, that worried look still in her eye, "We'll still have to move directly under it, so we have to be fast. Crossing should take about half a day walking, and since they're planning on moving Ichigo to the Cell tomorrow, we should be in good shape."

Ganju sat down next to her at that, allowing Orihime to get started immediately. He said with a frown, "It's still better than how we've been going."

With a humorless smile, Orihime added, "Especially since starting tomorrow we only have about five days."

Rukia paled.

"What…?" Rukia gasped out.

"Those bastards!" Ganju yelled, slamming his fist against the ground. It was loud enough to startle Orihime away for a moment. "He didn't even get a fucking trial, did he!"

"You…you didn't know?"

Rukia ran shaky hand through her hair saying, "No, we didn't." Orihime bit her lip, looking personally sorry for what she was about to tell them.

"Two days ago, they scheduled his…" she trailed off, unable to even say it. "They're going to do it at high noon, on Sōkyoku Hill."

Okay, this changed some things. This definitely changed some things. They officially only had five days to successfully get Ichigo out of this place, and they didn't even have most of the people they started off with. Saying this was bad didn't even begin to cover it.

Rukia had to take the time to remind herself that there was still hope in all this. It wasn't that long a journey to the Repentance Cell. They would probably even have time to spare, enough to be able to find the rest of their group, with the help of this new addition.

"W-we'll make it," Rukia finally said. "We can do it."

The other two looked at her for a moment, as if they had trouble understanding what she even said at first. Then, Orihime grinned.

"You're right!" she agreed. "We'll make it, if only because Ichigo needs us to."

Ganju let out a long breath at that before adding, "Hey, if you guys think we can, then we can."

"Then we need to get…" Rukia trailed off, yawning widely, "…going."

"Sorry! I forgot to mention that sometimes Shun Shun Rikka can make you drowsy after healing. It's something about how it gets rid of pain. I'm not really sure."

Now that Orihime mentioned it, Rukia was quite tired. It wasn't really the time to be tired yet, though, was it? She wasn't sure anymore…

"I think she's out," Ganju commented with a raised eyebrow. He moved to grab Rukia by the shoulders.

"Hey, don't wake her!" Orihime whispered.

"I'm not gonna," he said with a wave. "I just doubt sleeping on a stone wall's very comfortable."

With one hand on her shoulder and one behind her back he carefully laid Rukia down flat. She didn't even twitch. Orihime was able to produce a shock blanket that she then rolled up to use as a pillow for her. It wasn't great, but it would do.

"You should get some rest, too," Orihime quietly told Ganju. He nodded in response.

If he was being honest, he felt pretty tired, too. Healing sure did take a lot out of a person.

"Wake me up for the second watch in a few hours," he told her, rolling onto his side. He used his own lumpy pack as a pillow. As long as there weren't any explosives in it, he figured it was safe enough.

"Ganju?"

"Hmm?"

"It's…it's really nice to see you again."

"You too, Orihime."

In a few minutes, Orihime was left alone counting supplies and listening to the sound of rushing water. For the first time in a very long while, she felt hope again.

Part II

"Tell us why you're here."

…

"You can't stay silent forever."

 _Watch me,_ Uryuu thought. He kept his lips pursed and his eyes glued to an interesting stain on the table in front of him.

"You do realize that the more difficult you are now; the harder things will be for you tomorrow."

Was this guy really a professional interrogator? His intimidation tactics were almost laughable. Then again, they were only Shinigami. How good could they be?

At the moment, the man had Uryuu tied firmly to a chair in the middle of a dimly lit room, the entrance heavily guarded by more masked Second Division Shinigami. He had been here, tied like this, for hours, and if he felt any fatigue, he certainly wasn't going to show it to this lot. That being said, Uryuu was tired, very tired.

He had no idea what time of day it was, how long he'd been here, or even how long it'd been since he'd last eaten. He'd been asked question after question by these people, kept awake for who knows how long, and…

Okay, maybe they were better at this than he gave them credit for.

"Who sent you?"

Uryuu blinked slowly. How many times had he been asked that question? He wasn't really sure anymore.

"Were you sent by other Quincy?"

Uryuu's head snapped up in shock, and though most of his interrogator's face was hidden, Uryuu could tell he was smirking.

"Oh, I know what you are," he said smugly. "I'd recognize that garb of yours anywhere, and I do have to say, you're lucky things aren't how they used to be around here, or I would have saved myself some trouble and sent you off to Research and Development by now."

Uryuu lunged at the man only to be held back by his bound arms. He didn't care. He struggled, twisting his wrists and hands around, trying to get just one hand free so he could send an arrow right through that bastard's face. He'd show him exactly what a Quincy could do, no research required.

The man simply took a step back in surprise. He chuckled to himself, amused.

"That got a rise out of you, didn't it? Good, that means we're getting somewhere."

Before Uryuu had the chance to break his promise, open his mouth, and curse this man the fuck out, a resounding knock was heard from the door. Uryuu stopped in his struggling while the Shinigami grumbled something that Uryuu couldn't quite catch right before moving past his chair to open it.

"Yes?" the interrogator asked flatly.

"Sir!" a new voice called out. "We were told by Lieutenant Omaeda that all Squad Leaders are to report to the Captain!"

The interrogator grumbled something else.

"I'm in the middle of an important assignment handed down by the Captain, herself. Perhaps if you were to explain…"

"I'm sorry, sir, but the Lieutenant said it was quite urgent.

"Of course, it is." The man sighed. "Okay, you two bring the prisoner to cell 1B."

"Will do, sir!"

"Before I go, I have to ask, has the paper work for Use of Alternative Interrogation Methods been approved, yet?"

…Uryuu didn't like the sound of that one, not one bit.

"They should be finished processing by tomorrow."

The man's voice dripped with satisfaction, as he said, "Then I'll be back for you tomorrow, Quincy."

The man left, and Uryuu tried to ignore how his blood went cold for a moment. Without much warning he was roughly blindfolded and cuffed before his rope restraints were removed.

He tried counting the steps they took to the cell, memorizing the directions they took him, but he just couldn't do it, he just couldn't focus well enough. Eventually he was stopped, his blindfold and shackles were removed, and he was literally thrown into the cell, catching himself on his hands and knees as the door closed loudly behind him.

"Ishida?"

Uryuu's eyes snapped to a person he didn't even realize was there and was actually relieved when he found it to be Abarai. His classmate was sitting cross-legged in the corner, his back to the wall.

"You look like shit," Abarai said with a grin. The Fullbringer was sitting there, pale with dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks.

"You don't look much better," Uryuu said with a heavy frown.

"I'm guessing they put you through the ringer too, huh?"

"Please, you act as if they were actually intimidating."

"Pfft. Seriously? How could they be when they start crying like a baby just from one little punch to the face?"

Uryuu raised an eyebrow. He was almost impressed.

"Why do you think they brought us here, anyway?" Abarai asked. "They kept us separate before, so what gives?" Uryuu thought he had an idea why, but it wasn't a pleasant one.

"I had heard that the Shinigami were close to getting approval for 'Alternative Interrogation Methods,'" Uryuu explained.

Abarai blanched. "That's just a fancy way of saying 'torture,' isn't it." Uryuu nodded with a grimace.

"They probably believe we'll break faster if we're made aware of the other's pain. It's an old tactic, one that dates back to the Medieval Period."

"…Not gonna ask why you've been researching Medieval torture methods, but that's pretty sick."

Uryuu averted his eyes, darting around both Abarai's dig as well as having to agree that, yes, it was.

"It'd be best if we rested while we still can," he said instead.

"Oh, come on. A nerdy guy like you, you're telling me that you don't already have an escape plan cooking up in that brain of yours," Abarai said in a joking tone.

No, Uryuu hadn't thought of any. He kept silent, just staring at the ground and out of the corner of his eye Abarai's face fell.

Part III

"Rukia," a voice said tersely.

She shifted slightly, mumbling to herself.

"Rukia," the voice said, a little louder.

She turned over, laying on her side, her cheek brushing against the ground. She bolted up immediately.

"Cold! Cold! That's cold!"

The sleep left her eyes quickly, and it took Rukia a second to realize that no, she wasn't in the sewers. Neither Orihime nor Ganju were anywhere to be seen. She was instead sitting up on a frozen lake in her Inner World.

"Took you long enough."

Rukia scrambled to face the ice, slipping for a moment before wiping away the frost to reveal Sode no Shirayuki's reflection. Her questions spilled out automatically.

"When did I fall asleep?" she asked, dragging a hand through her hair. "I don't remember contacting you."

"One at a time, Rukia," Sode said with a roll of her eyes. "I called you, this time, and technically speaking, you are still asleep."

"You called me?" Rukia almost winced. Was Sode going to start berating her for getting beaten so easily today?

"Yes, I did," Sode said simply. "You've been doing much better than I had expected."

Rukia blinked owlishly for a moment. _What?_

"You've grasped your current powers well enough, but they may not be enough for your future trials."

Perking up, Rukia brought herself closer to the ice. Did this mean…?

"You will only face stronger opponents as your journey continues. You must learn the next two dances of our Shikai."

"Yes!" Rukia cheered. Sode immediately leveled a glare at her. Rukia shrunk and corrected herself. "Yes, I would like that very much."

The glare softened to a simple raised eyebrow, and Sode formed her own blade out of ice, motioning for Rukia to stand fully.

"Let's begin."

Part IV

Rukia's second awakening was much gentler. When morning came, she found herself being nudged awake by Ganju who was saying that they had to get moving soon. She was up in a matter of seconds, returning the blanket she didn't know she had borrowed and letting Orihime and Ganju's casual chatter fade to the background.

Waking up, she felt good, better than she had in weeks. All her former aches and pains were gone. She felt energetic, _ready_ , and even when her mind flashed back to that horrible deadline, she didn't feel so bad. She felt like she could do it.

 _Five Days._

Those words imprinted themselves into her mind. As of this very moment they had five days to do everything they came here for. Provided they didn't run into too many obstacles, she was sure they could get it done, and with time to spare.

"Ready to go, Rukia?" Ganju asked. He was all packed up, looking refreshed, and adjusting the strap on his bag. Orihime, on the other hand, looked like she had been packed and ready for a while, a bright smile on her face as she waited patiently for the other two.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Rukia answered back. She only had one possession to keep track of, after all, and it was strapped to her hip all night. "Lead the way, Orihime," she finished with a smile. Orihime gave her a grin and a lighthearted salute.

They walked along the quiet concrete path, keeping their voices low, though not staying silent. It was during this time that something registered in Rukia's mind.

Ganju and Orihime were very familiar with each other. Yes, she had noticed it before, but it didn't really strike her until she saw them now, speaking freely with each other, completely relaxed in one another's presence. They almost seemed like a pair of old friends.

"Where do you know each other from?" Rukia asked suddenly. She blushed when she realized that she had interrupted them without meaning to. The two looked at her, caught off guard in the middle of a heated debate as to whether Miso was an acceptable ice cream topping. Orihime was the first to recover, launching into an explanation.

"Well," she started with a fond smile, "I went to Shin'ō Academy with Ichigo a little more than a century ago. We became good friends sometime around my first year."

Interjecting with a grin, Ganju said, "And when a Shiba takes a liking to you, you're a part of the family, period, end of story. Just ask Tōshirō."

"Ah, yes! Tō… I mean, Captain Hitsugaya," Orihime blushed at the slip up, "still shows up to family events every year, even if he pretends he doesn't like them."

"Yeah, and it's all 'cause Uncle Isshin took a liking to him way back when little Shirō was just his third seat."

"Sounds like you have quite the family," Rukia said with a smile. Her family was just her and brother, no relatives and no extended family whatsoever. (Though, Renji was sometimes over often enough that it felt like they had a third family member.)

 _It must be nice._

"Hey, don't act like you're not a part of it," Ganju said with a scowl. "As far as I'm concerned you've been blood since you were eight and–!"

He pulled Rukia and Orihime close to him, one arm each, in a great big hug. Rukia gasped in surprise, but Orihime just looked fondly exasperated.

Ganju continued with a boisterous laugh, "Once we get this whole mess sorted out the family will be reunited! We'll have big ol' get togethers every year– No! Every month! –and don't even think about skipping out!"

Orihime let out a cheer beside him. Even Rukia cracked a smile, though she couldn't help but wonder. What was it like for Ganju to be away from his family as long as he was when it was so obviously important to him? The thought made Rukia sad, but she kept her smile up, even when he put her down and ruffled her hair like she was a little kid.

They made it through the sewers without issue and with a speed that Rukia didn't anticipate. Sure, it took a couple of hours, but Rukia could tell that they'd traveled more in those hours than their entire time walking above ground. It helped that they didn't have to stay silent, either. They could just talk in the empty sewers, their voices muffled from the outside by the sound of rushing water.

During this time Rukia learned a few things about her companions. She learned that Ganju still read Shōnen Jump, even after all these years. She learned that Orihime had never been outside of the Soul Society, having been born here, which apparently wasn't typical, even for Shinigami. Many of her friends, including Tatsuki, died in the World of the Living before being transported here.

She learned that Ganju, Orihime, and Ichigo were the same age. She learned that Orihime was a terrible cook, even if she didn't think so. She learned that Ganju wasn't much better.

Rukia spent a lot of time doing that, just walking along, absorbing and learning, only butting in to add her own two cents wherever it was needed. She did this all the way until they reached a hatch that Orhime stopped right under. Rukia looked to the path they were on, suddenly realizing that they had reached a dead end.

"We have to get out here," Orihime said. Ganju grimaced.

"You sure I can't just blow a hole through this wall. I'm not really looking forward to going back up there," he said. With a giggle, Orihime shook her head.

"That would attract far too much attention," she answered, and smile flagging, added, "Besides, I've only been to the Repentance Cell once or twice. I wouldn't even know how to get you there through the sewer systems." By the time she finished, her smile had turned into a guilty frown.

"The fact that you took us this far is amazing," Rukia assured.

"Yeah," Ganju said with a handwave, "we're fine as long as we cleared the second." The slight sweat that had developed at his brow said otherwise, though Rukia decided not to point that out. Orihime at least looked relieved by this, though she still seemed unsure.

"This hatch should take us right to the space between the First and Second Divisions," Orihime explained. "The Omnitsukidō shouldn't bother us as long as we stay clear of their Division."

"And the Shinigami from the First?" Rukia asked warily.

"I doubt they even realize we've reached here."

Rukia nodded. That was about as good an assurance as they were going to get, she guessed.

Ganju led the way up the ladder, lifting the hatch out of the way. When he peaked back over, whispering the all clear, Rukia and Orihime followed him up and back into the light.

It looked to be about noon, maybe a little later, but Rukia couldn't be sure. Behind her was a Division that looked almost identical to the last one she'd been at. The Division in front of her, now that was a different story.

The buildings were larger than life, reaching towards the sky getting taller and taller until they reached the very center of the Seireitei. At that place was a plain white tower, their destination. The entrance to this Division was a large set of stone steps that carved through the tall wall blocking the place off from the outside.

"Wow," Rukia breathed.

"I wouldn't say 'wow,'" Ganju said with a frown. "It kinda pisses me off for some reason, actually."

Orihime looked like she was going to throw in a comment of her own, but she never got the words out. She instead turned pale, her mouth falling open slightly, eyes locked on the top of the staircase. Someone was walking toward them.

"Tatsuki," Orihime whispered. She glanced between Rukia and the Lieutenant, unsure.

The moment Tatsuki's sandal covered feet hit the ground, the already tension filled air thickened further. She gazed down with narrowed eyes at the group, going past Orihime, then Ganju, and settling on Rukia.

"I don't know what you did to get these two to follow you, but this ends here. I'm taking you in," she declared.

"Tatsuki, please," Orihime begged, "If you would just let us–!"

"I don't want to hear it!" Tatsuki's rage was almost visible, wrapping around her like a veil. "This girl needs tot pay, and there's nothing you can say to change that."

Rukia had suspected something like this was coming. She cursed the bad timing of it all, but it certainly didn't surprise her. If Tatsuki wanted to stand in her way, that was fine. Rukia didn't need for this one Shinigami to see agree with. She just needed to win.

"If you want to fight, we'll fight," Rukia said, "but you're not going to stop me, here."

Tatsuki grinned in response.

"I figured you'd say something like that."

She drew her Zanpakuto, and pointing it right at Rukia said, "Before we get started, I should probably tell you: the one that's about to beat you is Tatsuki Arisawa, Lieutenant of the Sixth Division."

The Substitute grinned back right before saying, "I'm Rukia Orikasa, First Year High School Student."

* * *

 **Orihime Inoue: Division Four - Fourth Seat.**

 **She was probably just as interesting a character to adapt as Tatsuki, if I'm being honest. I had to make a version of her character that was reasonably balanced for this story (because let's be real she's ridiculously OP in canon and that's pretty much why Kubo shuffled her off to the background so quickly.) So, I nerfed her special abilities and made her an expert Kidō practitioner. I think it works out quite well, actually!**

 **Want to nerd out with me about balanced party systems? Want to talk about cheesy Shōnen bullshit? Leave a review, my dude, because they give me life!**


	20. XX: Interlude 4

**Hey, have some free Backstory! It has your daily serving of angst so it's suuuper good for you.**

 **(...D-did I reach 100k words without noticing...?)**

* * *

 _150 years ago_

Hanging Dog was rough place to live in. Crazy bandits could be found around the edge of town, just waiting for an unsuspecting traveler. Wandering swordsman that had more in common with your average thug than samurai were often seen passing through, just itching to prove themselves. Petty thieves were constantly crawling through the area, and it wasn't too uncommon for someone to just go missing every now and again. The very scum of the Soul Society walked proudly through the streets while most "regular folk" either kept their heads down or stayed indoors.

Tatsuki was not one of these "regular folk", and the bounty of pork buns she was grinning down at, lifted from some grumpy old shop owner, proved it.

She stifled a giggle as she looked down from her perch on the rooftops at good ol' Mr. Toki, huffing and puffing angrily in the streets before finally giving up his chase, and stomping back into his shop, slamming the door behind him. In triumph, she took a huge bite out of the first bun, sighing at the feeling of it melting in her mouth. Mr. Toki may have been a total jerk, but he sure knew how to make good food!

Easing out from her crouched position, Tatsuki let her feet swing over the roof as she looked out at the town before her. The scenery of the day was nice enough, the weather being clear with most of the more violent passers-by nowhere to be seen. If Tatsuki were to give an assessment, she'd say, "better than usual," but that was about it. To be honest, this kind of peace wasn't really her thing.

No, what she always craved, even more than Mr. Toki's left-over lunch specials, was a bit of action.

She took another big bite of her meal, finishing off the first bun and so stuck in her own head that she almost missed it when the gods themselves answered her prayers. She heard, ever so faintly, what sounded like a fight.

There was a little scuffle, the sound of dirt being kicked up, muffled yelling, and the sound of someone hitting the wall. With a grin, she shuffled over, peaking into the alleyway where it was all taking place, but the very minute she laid eyes on the fighters, her heart sank in disappointment.

These weren't swordsmen or brawling gang members or even wrestlers. They didn't even look that good. They were just a bunch of boys that looked about her age (which she thinks is twelve or so, but she's not really sure anymore). She definitely wasn't interested in seeing a bunch of _boys_ that probably couldn't even throw a good punch beat each other up.

With a roll of her eye, Tatsuki got ready to simply leave, to find another rooftop, and hope that one had a more interesting view. She paused the second something else about the fight caught her eye.

Well, it didn't really look like a fight now, from her perspective. There were about four boys, three of which she kinda recognized. She's pretty sure she'd seen them hanging around the old temple scaring random visitors. They were cornering some orange haired kid, sneering and shoving at him, one of them nailing him right on the cheek with a swing of his fist, sending him back against the wall again.

This wasn't a fight. This was just a beat down.

"Hey, dickheads!" She yelled it before she was even sure what she was doing, but she didn't really regret it, even when the boys glared up at her, fists clenched. She climbed down from her perch landing right in front of the three bullies.

"Is this guy so tough all three of you need to gang up on him," she asked with a sneer, "or are you just a lot weaker than I thought you were?"

The three boys looked at her, glancing from her scrawny frame to her stolen bag of goodies. They laughed out loud.

"Scram pipsqueak!" the one pinning the boy to the wall yelled with a toothy grin. "I don't feel like kicking some _girl's_ ass today."

"What, you don't think you could take me?" As Tatsuki said this she brought herself back into a loose stance, fists at her side.

The one to the left scoffed, looking to his leader. The boy loosened his hold on the stranger, letting the boy's collar slip from his grasp before jerking his head in Tatsuki's direction. Without much more prompting, his lackey attacked.

He ran forward, arm readying a way too obvious punch that he put every last bit of his strength into. It was almost too easy! She sidestepped him, leaving out a foot to trip him with. Just as he started stumbling, hands stretched out in front of him, she spun around kicking him in the back and sending him face first into the dirt, dazed.

The two others looked at her shocked, just the type of reaction she liked. Even their victim was looking at her, eyes wide.

The thugs charged with a yell then, though only one got very far. The leader was yanked back by his collar, the orange haired kid grabbing tight, before sending the guy sprawling. Tatsuki couldn't help but grin. Now _this_ was a real fight.

They sent the three bullies running in the end, nursing bruises and goose eggs that they would probably lie about later to save face. She really wished they wouldn't, though. She had her own reputation to uphold, you know?

"…Thanks for helping me back there," the kid said sheepishly with a bow. She didn't know what he was being all shy about now. He was actually pretty good!

Tatsuki flicked away the blood from her lip, shrugging. "You don't have to bow or anything. Those guys were just a couple of cowards."

She did wonder why they picked this kid as their target, though. He didn't look like easy pickings. He was tall, with long arms that he obviously knew how to use. Then again, he did stand out quite a bit. She doesn't think she'd ever seen someone with orange hair before, and those robes looked brand new.

Before she got the chance to ask, a familiar voice was yelling down the alleyway.

"Hey! You damn brat!"

She didn't even have to look to know it was Mr. Toki, but when she did, she saw he was holding a switch, face red with anger.

The kid grabbed her hand, tugging her away and biting out, "Time to go."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

He led her through narrow alleys and into the main streets, weaving through the sparse afternoon crowd and ducking under people a good head taller than them. Mr. Toki was not so lucky, stumbling along and bumping into the pushy townspeople, struggling to keep up.

"I know somewhere safe we can go," the boy whispered back to her. "Just stick with me, okay?"

"How safe we talking?" she asked back, glancing over her shoulder with a grimace. Mr. Toki may have slowed, but he certainly wasn't stopping. She didn't even get to finish those Pork Buns. They were just getting cold in some alleyway, now.

"Safe," he eventually answered with a grumble.

He led her to the very edge of town, the two keeping pace, even when they lost sight of Mr. Toki. She was expecting some kind of hut, maybe a lean-to, an abandoned building, or even a well-stocked climbing tree. When they reached a clearing just beyond the trees, she saw none of those things.

What stood before her was the estate of some kind of Lord! It was huge and sprawling and definitely not where they wanted to be right now. She had heard some rumors about a rich clan setting up shop here, but she hadn't believed them, not until now, at least.

"We can't go in there!" Tatsuki hissed, digging her heels into the ground. Who knew what the Lord of this place would do if he found them. (She'd never met a Lord before, but she assumed they weren't very nice, especially not to trespassers!)

"I've got you now!" Mr. Toki cried out, clambering ahead from the tree line. Tatsuki paled. Apparently, the man was dead set on catching her today. The boy was still tugging at her hand, starting to look frustrated at her obstinance. She simply tugged back. At least she knew what Mr. Toki would do to her if she got caught.

Mr. Toki was getting closer by the second, and yeah, Tatsuki was a little scared. She'd stolen a lot from this guy over the years, more than she'd like to admit. Right now, he looked ready to teach her a lesson. She closed her eyes, bracing herself just as the man reached for her other arm.

"Excuse me?" A rough voice cut through the air, stopping everyone mid-motion. Mr. Toki's arm dropped back to his side, and the boy's grip loosened. Tatsuki slowly opened her eyes. To a young Tatsuki, the man standing before her was like nothing she'd ever seen.

He was tall, a deep-set scowl on his face as his large arms crossed over his chest. He wore black robes, as dark as night, the type she'd seen before on those good for nothings that spent their days getting drunk off their asses. Something about the way he wore it, though, as well as the white haori over them, made her pause.

"My sincerest apologies, Shinigami, sir," Mr. Toki said with a deep bow, "but that girl," he said this, pointing right at Tatsuki, causing her to take a step back in what she convinced herself wasn't fear, "has stolen from me. This has been the second time this week, and I followed here to teach her a lesson. I will make sure she never bothers you again."

Despite saying this, Mr. Toki didn't make another move, waiting for approval. The Shinigami on the other hand was looking at Tatsuki, a heavy frown on his face. He glanced back at Mr. Toki, eyes pausing at the switch in his hand. Beside him the crazy boy was standing, fists clenched, his own scowl on his face, though it was far less effective. After a moment the man let out a long sigh.

"I think the two of us can settle this," he finally said. "There's no need to drag the kids into it."

Mr. Toki made a face like he wanted to argue but wasn't brave enough to actually said anything. All he did was send Tatsuki a quick glare. She stuck her tongue out at him in retaliation.

"Girl," the Shinigami said suddenly. She stood up straight, hoping that the man didn't notice that exchange.

"Yes…sir?" she mumbled.

"How much do you owe this man?"

Tatsuki looked down at the ground, shrugging her shoulders. "I dunno. I've been swiping stuff from him for about a year and a half, though, so…"

The Shinigami seemed to accept this answer, muttering to himself before turning to Mr. Toki again, asking, "Would 1500 Ryō cover it?"

Mr. Toki paled in shock, nodding dumbly. The Shinigami smiled at that, giving the man a pat on the back and directing him to where he'd need to go, pressing a piece of paper into his hands. Mr. Toki listened to the directions silently, moving around as if dazed.

"Just tell them Isshin sent you, and you shouldn't run into any trouble," he said with a crooked smile. Mr. Toki smiled back, muttering a quiet thank you before heading off.

The Shinigami's smile disappeared the moment Mr. Toki was out of sight, and suddenly that scowl of his was back in its place and being directed right at the boy beside him. The boy looked completely unaffected, arms crossed as he glared pointedly in the other direction. Then, in an instant, the man had him in a headlock and was giving him the noogie of a lifetime.

"And what do you think _you're_ doing, skipping out on Shiroganehiko and Koganehiko, huh?!"

"They were hovering! It was annoying as hell!" the boy yelled back. At that, the man switched to pinching and tugging at his cheek.

"This ain't the First District, Ichigo! You can't just run off like that!"

The boy, Ichigo, apparently, tried to yell something back, but couldn't quite get the words through with his cheek being stretched like that. All that came out where a bunch of garbled words, possible threats, and what sounded like the phrase "goat chin." Eventually, his struggling paid off, and the Shinigami lost his grip, Ichigo practically shoving the man off him.

"Stop being weird," he mumbled, rubbing at his face. "I brought someone here."

"I noticed."

The man turned his gaze back on Tatsuki, studying her carefully. He stayed silent for a moment as she shifted around awkwardly.

"I shouldn't have to tell you that stealing's wrong, right?"

Tatsuki nodded.

"Then why'd you do it?"

She bit her lip, hesitating for a painfully long moment before mumbling, "I was hungry."

The Shinigami's eyes softened at that. "Are you still hungry?" he asked.

Again, she hesitated, but in a moment she nodded again.

"Then, there's only one thing we can do," he said, putting his hands on his hips. "Ichigo!"

"What?"

"Don't say 'what' to your father!" he growled. "Bring this…er," he trailed off.

"Tatsuki Arisawa," she said quietly.

"Thank you! Bring Miss Arisawa to the house. I still have some work to finish up, so I'll need you to do this for me." He said this last part with a grimace, but it quickly cleared. "Make sure to see your mother first, boy, and Miss Arisawa?"

"Yes…sir?"

"Welcome to the Shiba Estate."

Seeing the estate from the outside had already been something. Seeing it from the inside left Tatsuki awestruck. The place was huge, well-kept buildings standing on all sides of her as people bustled about. There were fancy looking servants, even fancier looking household members, and every last one of them looked busy. No matter what they were doing, though, they would stop just to greet Ichigo calling him "Young Master," "Boss," or sometimes just "Ichigo." They all seemed to like him, and he knew most of them by name.

"Hey," whispered Tatsuki, "that was your dad back there, right?"

With a deep sigh Ichigo answered, "Yeah, that was my old man."

"So, is he the head of this place or something?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No, that'd be my aunt, his older sister. You'll probably meet her, soon."

An older sister, huh? Tatsuki pictured this woman, the head of the clan. She conjured up an image of some grizzled woman, scarier than a wolf and older than the tallest tree in the forest. Tatsuki shuttered.

They eventually arrived to "the house." It was right in the center of the estate and bigger than any building she'd ever seen, brightly decorated with reds and golds. In the front of that house was a well-dressed servant who was speaking to a beautiful woman.

It was obvious, at least to Tatsuki, that this woman was important here, just by the way the servant addressed her, but she didn't really look like a Noble. She had an elaborately pattered kimono but seemed to forgo the heavy extra layers. She didn't have the pale skin that royalty always seemed to boast, in fact she had the tan of a working woman. That wasn't even mentioning her bright orange hair.

"Mom!" Ichigo yelled, hurrying toward the woman. When she turned to level a withering look at him, he stopped so quickly he nearly tripped over his own feet. Oh yeah, he was still in trouble. Her look only softened when she noticed that Tatsuki was there, too.

"Ichigo, who is this?" she asked. Tatsuki almost blushed. Her voice was so pretty. It was soft and gentle, and it kind of reminded her of…

She needed to stop this train of thought before she started crying in front of a complete stranger.

"T-this is Tatsuki," he answered hesitantly. "She helped me out of a jam, earlier, so I brought her here. I think she's staying for dinner." The last part sounded more like a question than a statement. Tatsuki still perked up at that, though. She hadn't realized dinner was a part of this deal. Maybe she should try and rescue random strangers more often.

"I'm willing to bet you wouldn't have gotten into that jam if you had stayed with Shiroganehiko and Koganehiko like you were told." The words had more humor than venom in them, though the look in her eye said that they were going to have a talk about this later. Ichigo grumbled in response but didn't say anything back. "Go in and wash up," his mother said with a half-smile.

She turned back to the servant, giving him a few more notes on what Tatsuki figured were dinner preparations. Ichigo was already halfway through the door when she hurried up to follow, but at the last minute the Lady of the House placed a soft hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"And, Sosu, could you find a kimono that could fit this young lady?"

"Certainly, ma'am," he said with a bow. The Lady dismissed him before gently steering Tatsuki into the house.

The rooms were spacious, noise echoing inside with a hallway that seemed to go on forever. The rice paper paneled doors towered over her, and being here in this place just felt so…

"It's a bit overwhelming, isn't it," the Lady said with a reassuring pat.

"Huh?" Tatsuki was pretty sure she didn't say that out loud. "Oh, yeah. It's all a little…big, I guess." The Lady chuckled.

"I thought the same thing when I first came here, you know." Tatsuki looked at her for a second, brows scrunched up in confusion. "I was a Rukongai brat, too."

"Wait, really?" Tatsuki gasped out.

"Yep! I lived in the Rukongai for a few decades as a seamstress before Isshin came along and swept me off my feet." She was smiling as she said this as if recalling a wonderful memory. "Things are different here, but I'm quite happy. The Shiba are very nice people." With a light chuckle she added, "Sorry, that may sound a little odd considering I am one."

Lady Shiba ushered Tatsuki into one of her rooms to "freshen up." She scrubbed as much dust and grime from the girl's face and hands as she could, telling Tatsuki that they could throw her into a tub when they had a bit more time later. She brushed out the knots from her hair, completely giving up on styling it when she realized that it was _always_ a spiky fly away mess.

The kimono came around that time, and it was probably the most expensive thing Tatsuki had ever worn. It was bright red, with a minimal pattern, and she was pretty sure it was made with real silk. She needed help to tie it on correctly.

Tatsuki stood there feeling more done up than she'd been in her entire life.

Walking down the hallways in these stiff robes made Tatsuki feel different, like she ought to keep her back straight and start calling everyone "Sir" or "Madam" or what have you. It felt…weird, but all she could do was stay close to Lady Shiba, face tight as they walked down the corridor.

At least Tatsuki knew what was awaiting her at the end of this walk. It was more than just curiosity that kept her moving forward. It was the promise of _dinner._

The door to the dining room was opened for them by a servant who gave them both a deep bow. Lady Shiba bowed back in thanks, but Tatsuki was a little too distracted to pay attention to that exchange.

She was looking into a giant room, the center of which held the biggest short table she'd ever seen. On top of it was an obscene amount of food, with more still coming. There were all kinds of meats, vegetables, dishes that she didn't even recognize, enough to feed an entire army, and it looked like it was going to.

The room was packed with all kinds of people and they were all chatting up a storm. Servants (who were eating off to the side of the table), Nobles who looked about as rich as they come, and those that looked a little more like Tatsuki right now were all talking together casually. She didn't think that kind of thing happened.

"We're pretty relaxed over here," Lady Shiba said with a nudge. Tatsuki could see that. Weren't Nobles supposed to be uptight assholes? "How about you go find Ichigo?" the Lady suggested.

She didn't really need to find him. The second her eyes darted across the rom she saw him waving an arm above his head, sitting next to a burly looking boy, an empty cushion at his other side. Not needing any more prompting she moved ahead, weaving her way to their end of the room and plopping herself down into the empty seat.

"This is my Uncle, Ganju," Ichigo started with, pointing to the boy on his left.

"Uncle?" Tatsuki questioned. He looked like he was their age. Were they pulling a prank on her?

"Don't look so surprised," Ganju said with a defensive frown.

"Sorry," Tatsuki mumbled, though she still wasn't convinced. Still, if it was true, she didn't want to get caught being rude to the brother of the House Head, so she added, "It's nice to meet you."

Ichigo grinned at that, before saying excitedly, "I was just telling him about how we both kicked butt, today. Where was I again?"

"You were at the part where Arisawa had to save your sorry ass," Ganju supplied with a smirk. Ichigo swiftly punched him in the arm.

He continued the story he had apparently been telling, relying on Tatsuki to fill in some of the gaps, like the story behind the angry shop keeper, and where those three bullies had come from. Ganju, of course supplied the commentary.

Ganju was a few years older than her and Ichigo, but you wouldn't know it just by looking at him. He and Ichigo seemed more like cousins than Nephew and Uncle with how they would joke and jab at each other.

Ichigo was in the middle of retaliating against one of Ganju's sarcastic remarks when a hush fell over the crowd. Everyone's eyes turned to the large entrance.

Through the doors walked a one-armed woman in ornate red robes, walking in as if she owned the place. It took Tatsuki half a second to realize that she _did._ The woman made her way to the head of the table with purposeful steps settling into an empty seat between Lord Shiba and a younger looking man with black hair that looked too like them to not be related somehow.

The first thing she did when she sat down was raise a Sake cup high above her head.

"A toast!" she announced. "To another successful move!"

Claps and cheers were heard throughout the hall while everyone, and Tatsuki meant everyone, knocked back cups of Sake. The taste made her face screw up in an instant, but she gulped it down, anyway. She'd never gotten to try the stuff before, and she didn't want anyone thinking she couldn't handle it.

The rest of the night went by in a blur, not because of the alcohol (they only allowed the kids the one half cup for the toast) but because of the sheer amount of _things_ happening around her.

There was the food, which was amazing, the noise which was almost overwhelming, but in a good way somehow, as well as the general excitement around her, all of which made for the best night of Tatsuki's life.

Everything about this day felt too good to be true. Here she was, wrapped up in a thick sheet, almost drowning in the softest cot she'd ever lied on, Ichigo and Ganju only a couple of steps away, and she was somehow convinced that if she fell asleep, she'd wake up and find out that she had dreamt it all up and that she was just huddling in some lean-to trying to escape the rapidly cooling weather.

This all meant one thing. She probably wouldn't be getting any sleep any time soon. With that thought, she sat up straight in her cot, eyes squinting against the dark. Maybe if she walked around for a bit, she'd tire herself out, or even keep herself awake long enough to last until morning, just to be safe.

Crawling out of bed as quietly as she could, wincing at every creak and croak her feet made on the wooden floor, she slid out of the room.

Looking down the ridiculously long hallway, she could see that a few lights were still on. It was maybe a servant or two finishing up their work, or even some partiers, having a few more drinks before the night truly ended. She wasn't sure, but she was careful to avoid those doors, and any adults wandering by as she snuck past.

She kept walking down, not quite sure where she was going, yet, when she saw a door that was a little larger than the others (though not nearly as large as the dining room door.) There was some light coming from underneath, and she wondered what could be on the other side. She really needed to explore this place when she got the chance.

She began to walk past the door, barely giving it a second thought, when suddenly, she swore she heard her name from the other side.

Tatsuki's steps paused, and she looked back at it, fidgeting. She could have misheard them. Maybe someone was talking about "Tatami," this place certainly had plenty of them. Still, she might as well listen for a bit, just to be sure.

Taking another look down the hall, seeing if anyone would catch her spying, she came up close to the door, nearly pressing her ear against it, trying not to make a shadow in the rice paper.

"…said she was hungry. Do you know what that _means_ , Masaki?" Tatsuki could hear the voice of Ichigo's father from the other side.

"I think you've said a thing or two about it," Lady Shiba joked. Then, she let out a painful sounding sigh. "Gods, I can tell just by looking at that girl…She's had a hard time."

"Kisuke told me what it was like, growing up like that, but seeing it, it's…"

"Heartbreaking?"

There was a long silence after that.

"We need to do someth…" He trailed off, another long silence hanging in the air.

"Honey?" Heavy footsteps could be heard from the other side. Tatsuki knew her time was up.

She jerked away from the door, ready to bolt, but ended up being just a hair too late. The door was open, and she'd barely moved a meter. Shiba was staring down at her, amused.

"Looks like _someone's_ been listening in."

"What are you doing out of bed?" Lady Shiba said, straightening up in her cot. Tatsuki just stared at her feet, hoping that the floor would swallow her up.

"No need to look like that," Shiba said, "you're not in trouble." Tatsuki looked up at him, only relaxing when she saw his soft smile. He and his wife shared a look at that, one that she couldn't decipher.

"We actually wanted to ask you something," Lady Shiba said, moving in next to her husband. "Would you like to stay with us?"

Tatsuki tilted her head confused. Wasn't that what she was doing now?

"Permanently, we mean."

 _Oh._

"You don't have to answer us immediately, but we do want you to know that you're welcome here."

Tatsuki opened her mouth, closed it again, and opened it again. She wasn't sure what to say, wasn't sure what answer would be the right one.

"For now, how about you go back to bed. You're looking pretty tired," Lady Shiba said.

Did she look tired? She wasn't sure about that either. She didn't feel too tired when Lady Shiba led her with a gentle hand back to her cot, but she still fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

Tatsuki never did give a straightforward answer to Lady Shiba, but sometime during the tenth or so dinner, she realized that the she had answered the question, anyway.

It was around that time that she started to realize that there was much more to the offer than good food and a place to sleep every night, even though that was already so much to her. She received every advantage that the Shiba Clan Heir himself did (which Ichigo shyly admitted to being named a year ago by "Auntie Kukaku.") Before she even knew it, she was being groomed for a ranking position within the Gotei 13, right alongside him.

Playing and training started to blend together, each being just as fun. Then the twins were born, Tatsuki feeling as much of a big sister to them as Ichigo was a big brother, and somewhere along the line the two of them had become best friends.

Every day they'd try and outmatch each other and every night they would tell stories about things that happened in their lives before the other was there. As it turned out, they had plenty, like how Ganju lost half his eyebrow, how Tatsuki pulled the biggest heist ever, how Goat-Chin got his nickname, or even just that time Tatsuki saw the fight of the century, right in the middle of town.

Everything felt so perfect. That made it all the more jarring when everything fell apart.

Tatsuki still remembered vividly, exactly what she was doing when she got the news. She was packing her things for Shin'ō Academy into a trunk. A servant was helping her, and she was going through a list, making sure she didn't forget anything important.

She remembered being excited, getting ready to head off with Ichigo for this new adventure. They'd join the ranks with Captain Shiba and Uncle Kaien, they'd take the place by storm because _of course they would_. She was stuck in her thoughts until the moment she locked up her luggage.

She looked up and realized that the house was eerily quiet.

It had been a fairly lazy afternoon, so this wasn't immediately concerning. Ichigo and his mother had even gone out on a walk earlier to enjoy the weather, but…something about this wasn't right. Servants were murmuring in corners, Karin was crying in the background, Yuzu not far behind. She left her room, if only to get to the bottom of this.

 _"…_ _was saying something about foul play."_

 _"_ _The poor Young Master, he must be…"_

 _"…_ _the girls what will they…"_

Something in her heart twisted as she caught all this, but she tried to pay it no mind. They didn't mean anything, not really. That was what she told herself.

Her search for someone who was making any sense took her all the way to the kitchens. There sitting in a stool, head buried in his arms, shoulders trembling was Ichigo. Shiba was rubbing circles in his back, looking out the window with a thousand-mile stare.

"What…" Tatsuki started. _What happened? What's going on? Why is everyone like this?_

"Masaki is dead."

Shiba described the whole incident, voice hollow, like he hadn't quite processed it yet.

She was on a walk with Ichigo. There was a Hollow. She didn't make it.

Tatsuki felt her throat tighten. Her eyes started stinging, and all she could think was how wrong the scene in front of her was. Ichigo may be a crybaby, but this was a bit much, wasn't it? Shiba not having that goofy smile on his face? Don't make her laugh.

She felt like she had walked in on something that shouldn't even exist. So, she did the only thing she could think of and ran all the way back to her room. She slammed the doors shut behind her, kicked her trunk to its side, and cried alone where no one could hear her.

Saying that things fell apart after that was not an exaggeration. Sure, Shiba had always been a busy man, but he was never distant, not like he was now. For a while, she barely even saw him, and when he did some back, he looked worse than ever. Ichigio stopped smiling, the twins never stopped crying, and some odd place in the middle all of that was Tatsuki.

She wasn't really family, even if she'd forgotten somewhere along the way. What right did she have to disturb them? She didn't see her die the same way Ichigo did. Masaki wasn't even her mom.

She was stuck in the middle during this horrible year where no one went to the Academy, no one smiled, and everything was miserable.

By the time the year ended, she had lost any nerve she had to even talk to the Shiba. When the school year ended, she didn't go back to the Manor.

She finished her schooling, got into the Eleventh Division, became Lieutenant to the Sixth, and even decades upon decades later, she never forgot even a moment of her time spent in that household.

* * *

 **I have no idea how I managed to line it up where I could get an Interlude right in front of this fight, but it worked out somehow, and I couldn't be happier. More backstory will be coming later, of course, but consider this your crash course to this version of Tatsuki.**

 **Heyyy, if you have a backstory you're interested in seeing or even if you just want to send me hate mail for making you wait another week for the fight hit me up in the comments. (They give me life.)**


	21. XXI

**It's midterm season and I feel like I'm gonna die. Have a chapter.**

* * *

Part I

Rukia took one deep breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth, just as her old Sensei had taught her.

Those white marble steps, the ones that would take her right where she needed to be, were mere meters ahead. Only one thing stood between her and them, and that was Tatsuki, Shikai already activated.

Rukia couldn't do much more than brandish Sode no Shirayuki and face her for what was probably the last time.

Without warning, Rukia sent a wave of cold after Tatsuki, one that was blocked with a squared stance and a near visible wave of heat. Rukia wasted no time after that, rushing in, bringing her sword in front of her when she was faced with a blast of fire.

It started out as a simple warning blast, one that singed the tips of her hair and nearly caught her sandals on fire, but before Rukia could escape, it began roaring around her, intense, searching for any weaknesses in her repelling Reiryoku.

Was it just her, or did Tatsuki's fire feel much hotter than the last time they fought? Rukia could feel the sweat start dripping down her neck, her arms, and her palms, causing her grip on her Zanpakuto to slip. It was suddenly clear that Tatsuki had not given it her all in their last fight.

That was alright. Rukia had learned a few new tricks since then.

She could just barely see Tatsuki's silhouette through the flames and watched as her stance shifted and the heat intensified to dizzying levels. She could feel herself being pushed back by the sheer force of it, her feet skidding along the ground. It was almost unbearable.

Squinting through it, Rukia forced herself forward, one shaky step at a time, putting as much energy into Sode no Shirayuki as she could to strengthen the barrier. Her steps became faster as the temperature dropped and then with a final heavy step, she swung her Zanpakuto, the flames dissipating as she met Tatsuki's blade. The second they touched, a burst of steam and Reiatsu exploded out, forcing the two apart.

Tatsuki let out a chocked cry, and Rukia held back one of her own as she was thrown onto her back, left staring up at the clear blue sky. She rolled over to her hands and knees, forcing herself up, and gritting her teeth against the burns that scaled up her arms.

"You may have a new Shikai," Tatsuki panted out, "but you're still relying on old tricks, human." She was already on her feet, but Rukia saw it, the second her right foot hit the ground she staggered for a moment. She didn't get out of that one unscathed, either, huh.

"You'd be surprised," Rukia said with a smirk. "White tree!" She stabbed her Zanpakuto harshly into the ground, and like lightning, tendrils of ice shot along the ground, heading right for a wide eyed Tatsuki.

The Shinigami shot straight up in the air at the last minute, as the ice passed below, letting loose another flame attack from the sky. Rukia barely had time to deflect with a White Ripple, the resulting steam billowing over her.

For a moment, she coughed through it, squinting to try and catch a glimpse of her opponent, a tight grip on her sword. Tatsuki came straight down, hitting Rukia from above with her oversized blade, Rukia blocking it with her own. The attack lacked flames but certainly not strength, and as she strained against it, Rukia could feel herself start to buckle underneath the pressure.

It also didn't help that she could barely feel her own fingers, turning bright red with frostbite. Her arms still ached and the burn on her leg that she had been ignoring was screaming under the pressure.

Rukia had to finish this.

She ground out, "Third Dance, White Sword," and watched as the tip of Sode extended rapidly, just grazing along Tatsuki's shoulder. She knew that should have been enough.

Tatsuki's arm started to freeze over right before her very eyes. She could see the shivers start as her stance weakened. She could even see the exhaustion in her eyes from her own attacks. Still, Tatsuki didn't move a single inch.

"The ice won't stop spreading," Rukia panted out, pressing forward. Tatsuki didn't respond. "Just give up and–"

"LIKE HELL!"

Her words cut through the chaos. The sounds of quieting flames could be heard in the background, but for a couple of seconds, no one made a sound, aside from their own labored breaths. Still, Tatsuki looked at Rukia, fire burning in her eyes.

She continued, venom in her voice, "Like hell I'd just let you go."

With the last word, Tatsuki pushed Rukia back. She placed an unsteady hand on her frozen wound, and even from her distance, Rukia could see steam flow from it.

"I figured a trick like this might be helpful against someone like you," she said with a sneer.

Tatsuki swung a volley of flame attacks at Rukia, each much steadier than she seemed capable of, but each much weaker than the last. Rukia dodged every one, sidestepping them, and repelling any chasing flames. For a moment, the volley ceased, and Rukia wondered if it was over.

The Shinigami was standing there, sweating profusely, hand still tight on her Zanpakuto, her eyes hidden by her messy fringe. She took one step back, pivoted, and released a large plume of intense flame.

Rukia cut through it with a wave of cold, letting it pass by her harmlessly as she ran forward. She didn't try for any fancy attacks, just struck at Tatsuki again and again, waiting for something to hit. This was all she had really. She knew in her gut that last Dance was all she had in her.

Maybe it was luck, or maybe Tatsuki really had reached her limit, but one final head on strike sent Tatsuki sprawled on the ground, her Zanpakuto loudly clattering away from her. There was no struggle to her feet. There was no smartass comment. She just stayed down.

Rukia half-limped to where Tatsuki lied, sheathing Sode no Shirayuki. She stood between Tatsuki and her Zanpakuto, just in case. The Shinigami gazed up at her, a strange look in her eye. The ice lodged in her shoulder was spreading again. Rukia turned away.

"…You look just like he did," Tatsuki rasped.

Rukia paused, her breath lodged in her chest.

"…You both have that stupid scowl," Tatsuki continued weakly, "...and you both always beat me." She let out a shaky sigh, trembling against the spreading ice. "…You better save him, human…or…I'll…"

Tatsuki's eyes slipped closed.

The breath Rukia had been holding in escaped shakily. The air seemed to thin, and when Orihime rushed in behind her, kneeling by Tatsuki with unshed tears in her eyes, Rukia was almost sent to her knees.

"Why does she always have to be so stubborn?" Orhime asked this, hands already glowing, her voice choked up with emotion.

Rukia took one unsteady step back from the scene, only stopping when she felt a large hand at her back. She looked up and saw Ganju who seemed almost…dazed.

"You alright?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, only to regret it immediately when her vision spun at the movement.

"Probably," she eventually said. She grimaced at her own rough sounding voice. He cracked a smile at that.

"You Shinigami are kind of scary, you know that?" He ruffled her already messy hair with his free hand.

"Were you scared for me?" Rukia asked with a sly smile. Ganju scoffed.

"Don't start thinking too highly of yourself, shrimp."

Orihime climbed to her feet about then, a hand coming up to wipe at her eyes. "I think I've done all I can," she said. "She'll need further care at the Fourth, but…"

"Someone else will take her," Ganju said, glancing down at Tatsuki. She was still out cold, but her expression seemed less pinched somehow. He continued, "After a fight like that, I'm surprised half the Seireitei isn't already here."

"Then we should get going," Rukia agreed. After a long moment of hesitation, Orihime nodded, not saying a word.

They had made it to the steps, not a thing blocking their way, and Rukia felt a deep satisfaction as she realized this. It was tainted when she realized, that she didn't have enough left in her to climb it.

"Hey," Ganju whispered suddenly. She looked over to see him, back facing her and squatting down. "Climb on," he said. "You'll need all the energy you can get, hero."

Rukia wanted to say something in protest, or even just say something sarcastic at being called "hero." All she did was climb on, feeling more than seeing their gentle but swift incline into the heart of the Gotei 13.

Part II

Waking up in a cold cell, left to contemplate your impending torture was somehow even more depressing than it sounded.

That morning, or at least what Uryuu assumed was morning, he found himself sore and no more rested than he was before he fell asleep. It's no wonder he didn't sleep well, either. A certain _someone_ wouldn't stop pacing up and down the cell like a madman.

"Would you just sit still?" Uryuu bit out. How did Abarai even have the energy for this shit?

"Huh, you're up?" he asked, stopping briefly. Uryuu rubbed at his nose, feeling the grooves his glasses had left overnight.

"Obviously," he said. He didn't see the glare Abarai sent him, but he could feel it.

"Well," Abrai said with a frown, "I've been thinking."

 _That couldn't be good._

"Something's not right here…" he continued.

Uryuu held back a sarcastic comment about how literally everything about this situation was "not right" but held it back, for once giving Abarai the benefit of the doubt.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just…" Abarai struggled for a moment, resuming his pacing before continuing, "someone should have come for us by now, right? Those clowns from yesterday were pretty eager to continue, so, what gives?"

Uryuu's eyebrows furrowed. He hadn't had much time to think about it, but he supposed he'd been expecting some rude awakening. He thought he'd be snatched away first thing in the morning to whatever chamber they had prepared, but here he was, having enough time to chat with Abarai who could have been awake for a while now.

"Something must have happened outside," Uryuu said carefully. Abarai nodded.

"That's what I was thinking, but…what could it be?"

Uryuu shrugged and jokingly suggested, "Maybe some paperwork got held up, maybe everyone suddenly came down with the flu, or maybe…"

"Maybe something big is happening outside," Abarai said, chewing at his lip. "…You don't think it's Rukia, do you?" Uryuu could hear just a touch of disbelief, or rather a refusal to believe, in Abarai's voice.

Sure, Uryuu didn't have the same connection to Orikasa that Abarai did, but the thought of her getting captured was still…worrying and getting much more likely as time passed. If she _did_ get captured, something in Uryuu's mind told him that would be as good as a death sentence for them all.

"We'll know soon enough."

Abarai visibly gulped, but Uryuu tried not to dwell on his own words.

"What we need to do," Uryuu continued, "is take advantage of this. I doubt anyone's watching us, so this would be a good time to assess the situation."

"What's there to 'assess?' We know what we're stuck in, here."

"But do we?" Uryuu asked seriously.

"…What?"

"We know we're in a cell, but we don't know where that is, or even what we'd be facing if we managed to break free. We're missing quite a lot."

"Actually, I might have a few clues about those," Abarai said confidently.

"What? How?" Abarai smirked at the questions. Uryuu glowered.

"Back when we were first getting dragged here, I think I woke up before I was supposed to. I don't remember much, just being dragged down a staircase. I started struggling like hell and some guys jumped on me. I got knocked out again. I woke up in a cell, and you know how the rest goes."

"You were going downstairs?" Uryuu considered. "That could mean we're underground, but that's still not much to go off of." It would explain the total lack of windows and the heavy air, though. "How many were there when you woke up?"

"I dunno, I was blindfolded. There was a lot of noise, though."

"Guess," Uryuu insisted.

Abarai huffed. "I dunno, eight or so?"

Eight they may be able to take down together, but Uryuu doubted that only eight were here total. Then again, even if you triple that number, and consider that some of them are away at the moment…

"Now might be the time to try and escape," Uryuu said quietly.

"Escape with what?" Abarai sat down near Uryuu. "Both our powers are shot."

For a moment, Uryuu thought of telling Renji about his glove. If he activated it, he could easily blast right through the wall, Sekiseki stone or not, but that moment passed, and he hesitated.

He wasn't willing to part with his Quincy powers forever. Even being without them for a few hours felt humiliating. If he was being honest, he knew that he could handle a bit of pain just to keep them, but would he be thinking the same way after a couple of days? Would he be thinking that when he saw Abarai suffering the same?

He didn't know the answer to that, but for now he kept quiet.

"I'm not sure," Uryuu eventually answered, "but maybe if we…" Uryuu trailed off as he heard a distant noise.

"What was that?" Abarai asked nervously. His question was punctuated with panicked shouts and the sounds of destruction.

"Maybe it's Orikasa?" Uryuu asked, inching away from the door.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like Rukia to me." A loud banging sound rang out, bringing them both up to their feet in a panic.

The second they stood, everything went quiet. They could hear the low groans of the injured, sounds of dripping water, and, if they listened very carefully, footsteps, increasing steadily in volume before they suddenly stopped, right in front of their door.

Another quiet step was heard, and then suddenly, without warning, an impact that shook the floor hit, sending the door flying off its hinges. The two dived to opposite sides of the room, just to avoid getting hit.

"A Sekiseki cell, huh? At least they've kept _some_ of their standards."

The person who said that, the person who broke through their stone door like it was nothing walked into their shared cell with no visible weapon. She was a slight, dark-skinned woman who wore a bright orange jacket that called attention as easily as Shiba's hair. She didn't look like a Shinigami, but a quick glance at her Reiatsu said otherwise. In fact, it looked familiar.

 _It couldn't be…right?_

"Who the hell are you?" Abarai asked. Uryuu didn't pay much attention, though. He was too caught up in how strange this all this was.

"You can ask questions later," the woman said with a smirk. "We need to leave before reinforcements get called in."

Those eyes. It was the eyes that gave it away in the end. They were shining gold, smiling brightly at you like the cat that caught the canary.

"Yoruichi?" Uryuu asked, shocked. She grinned at him a little too widely.

"Yours truly!"

Abarai sputtered, and Uryuu didn't blame him. Yoruichi didn't wait for them to gather their wits. She just started moving out into the hall, leaving the two scrambling to follow her.

They left the building as quickly as they could, heading up to the ground level which turned out to just be a regular looking office building, albeit one that a hurricane had blown through. People were lying unconscious. Papers were scattered everywhere. Furniture was splayed about and broken. Uryuu neve would have thought that Yoruichi of all creatures (people?) would be capable of this.

It was odd being locked up in a place, and then finding yourself casually walking out the front door, but once they left, they found themselves in the middle of a forest, not dissimilar to the one that Uryuu and Abarai had crash landed in just yesterday. He looked up to the sky and found that no, it wasn't morning anymore. It looked to be just a little after noon.

Yoruichi led them quickly through the brush, seeming to know exactly where they were going, and exactly who they were escaping from. Eventually…

"It's safe," she announced, shrugging off a pack at her shoulders, and stopping by a large tree. "Take a break. I'm sure you need it."

She sat down right at the base of the tree, opening the pack wide, and Uryuu felt as if he had no choice to do the same. (Inwardly he was lamenting the grass stains that this would put into his white pants, but who was he kidding. This outfit was beyond saving a while ago.) She turned over the pack, dumping out all its contents, and what was revealed had Uryuu's mouth watering.

It was a large assortment of packaged foods, just about everything he could think of. There were rice balls, chips, cookies, and things that made it look like she had spent a good half hour raiding someone's pantry. Uryuu's stomach told him not to question the source of these too much, and Abarai seemed to agree. They were digging in before Yoruichi could even say another word.

Uryuu had reached first for the salmon rice ball swiping a bag of potato chips with a flavor he didn't bother reading quickly after. He had forgotten how hungry he was!

"…Where've you been, anyway?" Abarai asked through a mouthful of rice-cake.

"Looking for you kids, mostly." Yoruichi said this, looking at them with an amused expression. "Among other things. I was able to meet with the contact, and though there have been some hitches in the plan, we're adapting."

"Hitches?" Uryuu questioned.

Yoruichi let out a displeased sigh, though it wasn't aimed at either of them. She said with a frown, "Aside from the obvious disruption, this morning a Captain was found dead, though 'dead' may not be the right word for it. Everyone's already blaming the Ryoka, so things are going to be a lot harder for us from now on. That's not even mentioning the time limit."

Uryuu asked grimly, "They've scheduled an execution date, haven't they?"

Yoruichi nodded. "We have a little less than five days left, including today."

Abarai cursed. Uryuu felt like doing the same.

"And since we _still_ don't know where the others are…" Uryuu said this, feeling his frustration rising. All this preparation and somehow things managed to get this bad?

"Hey! You were able to find us," Abarai pointed out. "Couldn't you track them down, too?"

Yoruichi shook her head solemnly as Abarai visibly wilted. "You remember what I said before, don't you?" she asked. "This place is huge. I can't find you if I don't even know where to start. The only reason I tracked down the two of you was because information about two captured Ryoka had already spread."

This time Uryuu _did_ curse. Was this really it? Were they just doomed, now?

" _But_ ," Yoruichi interrupted Uryuu's train of thought. "Something else did happen earlier today. A Lieutenant was found badly injured. I haven't checked the sight myself, but if it was the others, then that puts us in a pretty good spot, actually."

"Then what are we doing sitting here?" Abarai asked, stuffing a bag of cookies into his pocket. "Let's go check it out ourselves!"

Uryuu almost rolled his eyes. Could Abarai be any more obvious?

"That's the spirit!" Yoruichi cheered. She stood up with a languid stretch, gathering up the bag before throwing it over her shoulder. "Follow me!"

The pace they set this time was much quicker. They carved through the forest in record time and were back to the sterile buildings of the Seireitei before they even knew it. By the time they reached their destination, the sun was starting to dip in the sky.

They reached what at first looked like an empty clearing before the steps of what Yoruichi explained was the First Division. Upon further study, this clearing had quite the story to tell.

Scorch marks covered the ground, turning the white and gray stone a deep black. Near it trails of slowly melting ice left deep cracks in the ground. Puddles were scattered about the area in the same way that traces of Reiryoku were.

"No mistaking it, this is Orikasa's work," Uryuu said.

"And since Rukia won this fight, then…" Abarai's eyes trailed up the white steps.

"Good. Then they're headed right were they need to be," Yoruichi said with a bright smile.

"All we have to do is catch up." Abarai said this with clear determination in his eyes, a grin on his face.

Abarai's feelings may have been painfully obvious, but Uryuu had to say, they were admirable.

Uryuu didn't say any of this, though. Instead, he adjusted his glasses that didn't need adjusting and rolled his eyes, silently waiting for them to get moving.

They still had a job to do, after all.

Part III

Tatsuki sidestepped strike after strike with a wide grin. It was almost too easy! She finished it off with a great swipe of her weapon, knocking her opponent right off his feet.

"Congratulations, Tatsuki. You're doing well." Uncle Kaien stood off to the side attentively, a kind smile on his face. "We still have to work on your control a bit, but you should feel good about how you're doing."

He then turned to Ichigo, who Tatsuki gave the stink eye. The boy stuck his tongue out at her, still rubbing his sore rear.

"Now, Ichigo, you need to work on putting more confidence into your strikes." Ichigo's eyes were glued to the ground, even though this dressing down had only just started. "You'll have a real Zanpakuto one day and believe me when I say they don't like it when you show hesitation." Ichigo let out a long huff at that, nodding with a sullen look on his face. Uncle Kaien reached down with a hand to ruffle the boy's hair. "I can tell you've been practicing a lot," he said. "Don't worry, you're doing well."

"Excuse me, sir?" A servant asked politely from the door.

Uncle Kaien frowned with a _tut_ , asking, "Could it wait? We're in the middle of a lesson."

The servant shook her head. "Your sister, Lady Shiba said it was quite important."

Their teacher let out a sigh at that, shaking his head before turning back to his students, saying, "You can take a break. I'll be back soon." Tatsuki watched him follow the servant back into the house.

Suddenly, she heard another deep sigh beside her. Looking over, she saw Ichigo, sitting down on a rock and looking thoroughly depressed. He always looked this way after losing (which happened pretty often) but this was worse than usual.

"What's got you down?" Tatsuki asked, twisting over to look at his downturned face.

"You know what it is," he said quietly. Tatsuki worried her lip. She actually felt bad.

"Well," she started, "you heard what Uncle Kaien said. You just have to be more confident. That's not hard."

"That's easy for you to say," he huffed. "I'm don't know how to do that."

Tatsuki scrunched up her eyebrows, wondering. "You seem alright when you're throwing a punch. Something about that sword throws you off, I think."

"Then why don't you get thrown off?" he asked with a scowl. Tatsuki almost sighed in relief. Things were back to normal.

"I'm not sure if I can explain it," she started. "It's like…the sword isn't really a weapon, it's something else?"

"That doesn't make any sense!" Ichigo bit out, digging his fingers into his hair.

"Sorry."

Ichigo let out another long sigh, more of a release of tension than one of frustration. "No, you're just trying to help." He visibly steeled himself, adding, "I just need to work harder!"

Tatsuki smirked, saying, "Yeah, then maybe we could have a _real_ fight."

Ichigo punched her in the arm for that jab. She just laughed back.

…

Tatsuki found herself flat on her back _yet again_ in her swordplay class. Ichigo was already sheathing his Zanpaktuo, leaving Tatsuki to crawl to reach hers. The teacher observed, and with a tut marked something down on a clipboard that Tatsuki would never see.

 _"_ _Shiba beat her again?"_

 _"_ _How does he even do it?"_

 _"_ _I guess he's top of the class for a reason, huh."_

She ignored the whispers that followed her when she left the ring. Keeping her head down as she sheathed her weapon.

"Tatsuki, are you alright?"

Orihime looked right at Tatsuki, a handkerchief in her hands, seemingly torn in between offering it or not. She looked worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tatsuki said, brushing the other girl off. "The only thing that's wounded is my pride."

Yeah, that's what happens when you get beaten by the same person again and again for a year straight. She tried to smile at that, but didn't quite manage, judging from Orihime's slumped shoulders.

It was kind of scary how quickly Ichigo improved once he got to the Academy. She guessed it had something to do with that Zanpakuto of his, the one that he already seemed perfectly in sync with before anyone else in the class had gotten so much as a peep from theirs. Then again, she couldn't be sure. They haven't been talking for a while, now.

Tatsuki vaguely knew that Orihime was still speaking. She didn't really notice Chad waving at them while in a conversation with Ichigo. Her mind was focused on a single thing.

 _Why does he always beat me?_

…

Tatsuki woke up with a start. Still groggy as she struggled to remember her dream.

 _That wasn't a dream. It was a memory._

She let out a deep sigh, trying to grab onto the flashes and impressions left over.

She remembered being so proud back in the day. She was just some Rukongai brat, and here she was getting good at swordsmanship.

She remembered the blow her swelling pride had taken when Ichigo so thoroughly passed her by.

More than anything she remembered how nice it was back in the day to just talk freely with him, to be friends with him.

Soon, she was going to lose him.

Tatsuki got up in her hospital bed and kicked off the sheets, climbing out, eyes searching for her uniform and Zanpakuto. There was no reason to waste her time here. She had things to do, places to be, and most importantly, someone to find. She had made her decision.

She wasn't going to lose him for good.

Part IV

Holed up in some empty warehouse, sealed and double sealed by Orihime in the dead of night, the Shinigami wasn't sure what she was looking at.

She found this…thing on Rukia near the end of their healing session. She'd have asked the girl what it was, but she was fast asleep before Orihime had the chance.

It was a mask. That much was clear. It looked like an animal skull, though she wasn't sure what animal. It seemed angry, a permanent scowl on its face. It almost looked like a Hollow's mask, but as a medic, Orihime didn't have much experience with those creatures, so she could have been wrong.

Yeah, she was probably mistaken. There was no way Rukia just had a Hollow mask tucked into her robe. Besides, she was pretty sure Hollows weren't human sized, and she could comfortably fit the mask on her own face. (Okay, she may have tried it on when she thought no one was looking…)

"What are you doing?" Rukia croaked out. Orihime quickly tore the mask from her face, hiding it behind her back.

"Nothing! Um, how are you feeling?"

Rukia looked blankly at the ceiling, not appearing entirely awake, yet.

"Tired," she eventually said. "Sore."

Orihime nodded. "You had some pretty serious burns there. I'll need to do some more healing in the morning, but for now, just get some rest."

Rukia nodded, eyes already drooping. Orihime considered something for a moment, ultimately deciding that this was her chance.

"One more thing," she said, feeling a little guilty when Rukia's eyes snapped open, focusing on Orihime again. She brought the mask from behind her back, bringing it close to Rukia. "I found this on you earlier. Is it yours?"

Sluggish hands took it from Orihime, and Rukia studied it with narrowed eyes. No signs of recognition showed, but somehow, she didn't look so happy holding it. She nodded in the end, tucking it back into her kimono.

The reaction was odd, Orihime thought, and it left her with more questions than she started with, but at the end of the day she was a healer first and foremost. Her patient needed rest, so she let her quietly drift off. Orihime had plenty more important things to think about, anyway, and here, with nothing but her two quietly snoring companions, she had plenty opportunity to.

She was mostly worried about an issue that came up during Rukia's healing session. She hadn't said anything at the time, but she knew something was wrong.

Burns were a tricky thing to heal. Coaxing skin back to its old state, or at the very least a less damaged state was…difficult, but it was far from impossible, especially for someone as experienced as Orihime. She'd healed plenty of burns without leaving so much as a mark, but not this time. The healing didn't go as well as it should have.

By tomorrow, it should be good enough for Rukia to move around again, but Orihime would be surprised if there wasn't a scar left. She had some theories as to why this was, the main one being that Rukia was _too human._

Orihime had never encountered something like Rukia before. She'd never had to heal the wound of a human turned Shinigami, and she was starting to guess that the human part of that equation was causing some complications.

Humans had very solid bodies, unmalleable and unwilling, unlike a Shinigami's Reishi body which could be easily coaxed and manipulated. She would have to inform Rukia and her human friends of this later. If they were planning on getting into more fights in the future, they would have to be careful.

Oh, who was she kidding? When was anyone ever careful? All they did was charge into battles with reckless abandon, not a single thought for their own safety or the poor medic that would have to put them back together again and again and again. That was how Ichigo was. That was how Tatsuki was. Somehow, after all these years, it never got any easier.

 _I'm rambling, aren't I?_

"Orihime, you're thinking to hard," Ganju whispered. She nearly jumped at the sudden noise.

"It's not time for your watch yet," she hissed back. "Go to sleep."

"Eh, it's close enough," he drawled. "I'm already up, anyway." As he said this, he stuck a finger in his ear, looking completely bored. Orihime couldn't help but laugh. Really, the Shiba were so alike, it was frightening! Still, being without even one of them felt wrong somehow.

"Hey, Ganju?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you leave?"

He was silent, eyes on the ceiling.

"You and Lady Kukaku just left one day," she continued, "and no one ever knew why."

A few seconds passed between them. The silence was uncomfortable, deafening. Eventually Ganju broke it.

"After…after Kaien died, Big Bro and Big Sis started thinking something weird was going on in the Soul Society. Why they decided that meant going to the World of the Living, I didn't really know, but I knew I wanted to help her, so I left, too."

"…Something weird?" Orihime asked quietly. "Like what?"

"Some kind of conspiracy, I think. They were never very specific."

"You mean like…corruption?"

Orihime's had her fair share of experiences with the Soul Society's government, and they were far from perfect. Still, going to the World of the Living seemed like an odd way to go about fixing it. Besides, what did that have to do with Kaien?

"Maybe," Ganju said with a shrug. "It could be corruption, or some kind of traitor. I still don't know."

A traitor. Now that was much graver, but she wouldn't even know who they were insinuating. At the end of the day, she trusted the judgement of Captain Shiba and Lady Kukaku, but…

 _What if there was a traitor? Then what?_

Orihime suddenly felt very, very tired.

"I think I'll get some sleep," she told Ganju. He nodded, sitting himself up against the wall and sorting through his pack.

She lied down, falling into an uncomfortable slumber.

* * *

 **The Tatsuki vs. Rukia fight had a lot of hype behind it, and though it's quite different from the fight in the manga, I hope it has its own merits. I struggled a bit with keeping it shorter and to the point or staying "by the book" in the same way I did with Ikkaku's fight. I went with the former, and I hope everyone is satisfied with this decision. If you aren't I don't mind. We can talk about it. Hit me up in the comments because…they give me life.**


	22. XXII

**I posted this before midnight it still counts.**

* * *

Part I

Walking through the mess hall, Orihime kept her steps perfectly even, forcing herself to glance over everyone she passed by without batting an eye. She was getting strange looks, and she knew it. She even knew why. A ranking member of the Fourth Division getting her breakfast in a First Division cafeteria was pretty strange. She had to remind herself that the looks had absolutely nothing to do with her harboring two "dangerous" Ryoka right under their noses.

She still flinched whenever someone so much as brushed past her, but that was beside the point.

When Orihime made it to the volunteer cashier, hands shaking as she held a small stack of ready-made meals, she just about sighed in relief. She didn't even realize she was being spoken to, at first.

"E-excuse me?" she asked meekly.

"I said that will be fifteen hundred yen," the volunteer said with a smile.

"Oh!" Orihime fumbled for her coin purse immediately stuttering out apologies. She felt like hitting herself! At this rate they'd definitely get caught. The volunteer raised an eyebrow, but thankfully said nothing.

He said, with some amount of humor, "Don't overwork yourself too much, Miss Medic. We'll need you now more than ever."

"A-ah, yes," Orihime said, handing him the yen notes. "I suppose with everything that's going on…"

With a sigh, the man shook his head sadly, "You know, I have some friends in the Fifth, and after everything that happened… I just hope they'll be okay. I'm surprised you aren't there, actually."

Orihime blinked for a moment. "The…Fifth?" she asked quietly. The volunteer looked at her with a mixture of shock and pity.

"You didn't hear, did you? Captain Aizen was found dead yesterday morning. They're saying the Ryoka did it."

The words made Orihime's blood turn cold.

She couldn't even get any words out, couldn't ask any of the questions that were darting through her mind. She just accepted her change and left quietly, steps quick but unsteady. She knew she received even more strange looks with this, buts she didn't care.

Taking a roundabout route, she made her way to the safehouse much slower than she would have liked, but it at least made her harder to track. Even with her mind where it was, she didn't forget that. She supposed those were the perks of being old friends with an expert tracker like Tatsuki.

She needed that now more than ever, because apparently her companions were being hunted for allegedly murdering one of the nicest men she'd ever met.

Sure, she hadn't known him personally, but the few times she'd spoken to him he'd been nothing but polite and kind. His Division, especially Lieutenant Hinamori, never had a single bad word to say about him. Now he was dead.

She, of course, knew better than anyone that the Ryoka couldn't have done it. She was with them the entire time, she trusted them, if only because of their association with Ganju, and putting that aside, she doubted they even _could_ kill Captain Aizen.

The Captain was a powerful, well respected man. She didn't think anyone could kill him so easily, anyone aside from…another…

"…Captain?" she wondered aloud. She slapped a hand over her mouth immediately, as if the word itself burned her. (She only relaxed when she realized no one else was around to hear it.)

She shouldn't be thinking such a thing. She didn't want to, really, but it was already cemented in her mind, along with the words that Ganju had told her last night.

 _"…_ _or some kind of traitor."_

She walked a little faster, not even noticing she had reached her destination until she almost passed it. She opened the door, stepped in, locked the door behind her, and leaned against it, feeling utterly exhausted.

"Food! Food! Food!" Ganju cheered with a grin.

"Good morning," Rukia said, much quieter. Then, the human's eyes narrowed slightly.

She was probably taking in Orihime's tired appearance, the worried look in her eye, the way she was clutching the meals just a little too hard. She cut right to the chase.

"What happened?"

"Huh?" Ganju asked, eyes going over the medic. He frowned.

Orihime worried her lip, wondering how she was even going to start. She sat down, placed the meals in her hands beside her, and took a deep breath.

She told them, in as much detail she could, just what she had heard, nothing more, nothing less. They took the news surprisingly well. (Or perhaps she had just taken it quite badly, she wasn't sure.)

"We'll have to be a lot more careful," Rukia said with a deep frown.

Biting her lip, Orihime said back, "We can't even move underground anymore. I don't know the routes as well here, so…"

"Well, getting caught ain't an option for us," Ganju groaned.

"We can make it," Rukia said with a resolute nod. "I'm sure."

Orihime let out an unsteady breath, nodding back if only because she didn't trust herself to speak at that moment. The second she breathed back in, she felt…better somehow, and looking into Rukia's eyes, seeing just how sure her companion was made her feel something that she hadn't in a very long time.

Maybe Tatsuki was on to something when she said Rukia and Ichigo were alike back there, because when Rukia said they would make it, Orihime believed her.

Part II

The First Division felt different from the others, Rukia thought.

Sure, the buildings looked about the same, a strange mixture of modern utilitarianism and an 18th century aesthetic, but this felt almost clinically clean. The buildings towered over them, just about every single one being white or gray, and the streets were almost deserted. They had come across exactly one stray officer, no more.

"What gives?" Ganju asked idly, patting down a recently knocked-out Shinigami for supplies. "This place is damn near deserted."

"The First Division is much more exclusive than the others," Orihime supplied, shifting around nervously while on the lookout. "They're a lot smaller." When she said this, she didn't sound too sure, which sent a jolt of worry through Rukia.

"Still doesn't explain where everyone is. Didn't you say the cafeteria had some people i–?" He cut himself off with a grin and an "ah-ha!" when he yanked something out of the officer's pack. "Soldier pills! Jackpot!"

Ignoring Ganju's discovery, Rukia was inclined to agree with his earlier observation. People were here. They knew this. So, where were they? Rukia supposed this was why she felt so on edge. If the Shinigami had reason to believe they were here, and were seemingly leaving them alone…well, that just reeked of a trap, or maybe something worse.

Rukia didn't have any time to think about what "worse" might be because just as she was going to voice her opinion, an intense pressure rung through the air, enough to have her stumbling, almost sending her to her knees. Her mind went blank. Her ears rung.

For a second, she thought it was some kind of Hollow, but no, this felt different somehow. She struggled to gain enough breath to speak.

"What was that?" she bit out. Ganju was struggling to bring himself back to his feet. Orihime had paled a few shades, a cold sweat breaking out on her brow.

"Run," Orihime whispered breathlessly. She said again with a bit more force, "We have to run." She tugged Ganju back to his feet, dragging him behind her as she did just that. Rukia followed without question.

"What's going on?" Rukia asked desperately. Her ears were still ringing. That pressure was still coming down.

"That's a Captain," Orihime rushed out, "and if it's the one I think it is…"

"…Then what?"

"Then w–!" Orihime cut herself off with a choked cry, and Rukia knew exactly why. She could feel it too, a sudden presence washing over her. She was sure, in that moment, that she knew what it felt like to be prey. Her legs froze, shaking slightly, and just out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone, watching.

He was crouched on the roof, staring down at them with a grin that nearly split his scarred face in two. Her fingers twitched for her Zanpakuto, but she just _couldn't get her arm to move!_

"What's wrong with you," he said in a low gravelly voice. "You just gonna stand and stare?"

Rukia couldn't move. She actually couldn't move. It was like her feet were nailed to the ground. Then, a hand clamped down on her wrist, forcing her forward.

"Didn't I tell you to run?" Orihime bit out, forcing Rukia along, Ganju just ahead of them. The medic was practically hyperventilating. Rukia could barely breath at all. "Blossom! Shun Shun Rikka!"

Rukia was stuttering along an orange glow at her back as she found her pace again. The first chance she had, she glanced over her shoulder through the reinforced Reiatsu shield seeing the Captain chasing them looking downright gleeful as he exerted more pressure on them. She glanced back ahead to see Orihime, stumbling and sweating under the pressure looking more exhausted by the second as the man grew closer and closer.

Then, in a moment, the shield shattered with the sound of breaking glass. Orihime stumbled forward, missing a step as she started to fall, her eyes rolling into the back of her head.

Rukia dove for the girl, keeping her from hitting the ground. She looked almost sick, and thinking back on it, this may not have been entirely the Captain's doing.

"Ganju!" Rukia cried out. He was on them in a moment, already slinging Orihime over his shoulder, the Captain nearly upon them.

They couldn't outrun him, not like this.

"Take Orihime!" Rukia yelled, finally drawing her Zanpakuto. "I'll hold him off."

"Are you kidding me?! Just come with us!"

"We don't have time for this!" she yelled back. "Just do it!"

Ganju glanced rapidly between Rukia and the Captain just behind her, pale. Gritting his teeth, he turned and ran, not looking back. Rukia almost felt relieved.

 _Almost_.

With a few whispered words, Rukia summoned her Shikai, turning to face the Captain. He had stopped, looking satisfied.

"You're Rukia Orikasa, right?"

She swallowed heavily. "Yes," she said. She wanted to say more, her mouth struggling on some kind of quip to put herself at ease. She couldn't think of anything.

The Shinigami grinned ever wider looking like a kid at a candy shop.

"I'm Kenpachi Zaraki," he said, "Captain of the Eleventh. I'm here to kill you."

On instinct, Rukia's grip on Sode tightened. On top of his Spiritual Pressure and his impenetrable gaze she could now feel every ounce of his killing intent.

"Wow! Your Ryoka friends sure looked scared," a much higher pitched voice said.

Rukia nearly dropped Sode, fumbling for it at the last moment.

Of all the things Rukia was expecting it certainly wasn't a tiny pink haired girl peeking over Zaraki's shoulder, climbing over like he was a jungle gym. With a jerk of his shoulder he brushed her off, and the girl landed on the side with a sweet smile. Was she here the whole time or something?

 _And was that a Lieutenant's badge?!_

No, Rukia didn't have time to focus on that. She had to keep her eyes on her enemy, the one that seemed different from every other Shinigami she'd come across thus far.

Putting aside his odd appearance, spiky hair, eyepatch, and all, he felt much wilder than the others. His power flowed out, unchecked, and he seemed somewhat unhinged. Rukia had felt traces of this from Madarame and even Tatsuki but comparing them was like comparing a pebble to a mountain.

There was something else there, though, something that Rukia couldn't quite put her finger on.

"What'd I say about standing there and staring, girlie. Are you ready for a fight or not?"

"Why are you chasing me?" Rukia asked immediately because it did seem like they were only chasing _her._ The two hadn't so much as twitched in the direction of her friends since they ran off.

"Don't get the wrong idea," he said. "I don't care about any of this Ryoka bullshit. I'm just here to fight you." He looked at her appraisingly. She readied herself for a fight. "Decent stance," he muttered, "Spiritual Pressure's alright… Hey, you're the one that does that weird shit with ice, right?" He didn't wait for her to answer, just saying, "No wonder Ikkaku lost to you. You'd probably beat any Lieutenant." He ended his tirade with a chuckle.

Rukia scowled as she watched this. She could feel her skin crawling.

"How about this," he suddenly said, bringing up a hand to his chest. Rukia went on guard immediately. She was terribly confused when he simply pulled the front of his Kimono open. "You get one free shot to the chest."

Rukia froze. _Was he serious?_

"…Or neck, face, I don't really care."

"You've got to be joking," she said flatly. As if she were going to fall for that. Zaraki scoffed.

"You kids, you're too fuckin' paranoid," he said, shaking his head. "It ain't a trick, girlie. I just thought I'd give myself a handicap, keep it a little fair, you know?"

Rukia frowned, still hesitating. Landing a hit was usually how she ended a fight, not how she started one.

"Oh, what?" he asked with a booming laugh. "You afraid you're going to hurt me or something? Are you that soft?!" She gripped her Zanpakuto tighter, hands shaking. "Killing, being killed, it's all just fun to me! If you don't have the guts to do it, I might as well save someone else the trouble and–!"

She cut him off with a cry before charging, aiming a blow right at his stomach. Somehow, things went very wrong after that.

She heard no grunt of pain, no telltale signs that anyone had just been stabbed. She just found herself stumbling as she was jerked to a halt. She looked up and saw the tip of her blade stopped perfectly by his _skin_. Looking up a little further she saw Zaraki's face. He seemed disappointed.

"You won't be able to cut Kenny with a blade like that, girlie," the young Lieutenant tutted.

"You're weaker than I thought," Zaraki said, bringing up a hand. Rukia jumped back in retreat immediately, not even relaxing when he only used the hand to brush off the frost on his stomach.

Meanwhile, her hands were burning with pain, and that was just from trying to stab him.

"My turn." He said it in a low voice, that smile back on his face as he drew his Zanpakuto, a mangled old looking thing.

Rukia took a cautious step back, and then another, and another. What she was thinking now, she knew Sode would hate her for it, but she knew she couldn't fight this guy, not as she was.

 _"_ _Didn't I tell you to run?"_

She turned and ran as fast as she could, tearing down the streets, turning around every corner she could, not paying much attention to where Zaraki was or even where she was. It was here that she remembered her fight with Kukaku, hiding behind terrain, sitting and waiting for something to happen, for a plan to come to her. At least then she knew that Kukaku wasn't going to kill her.

Then again, at least here she knew that Zaraki would kill just her. He wouldn't go after her friends afterwards. He wouldn't kill Orihime, or Uryuu, or Re…

She couldn't think like this, not now.

"Running away, really? I was hoping you were better than that!"

 _Great!_ She could still hear him behind her, gaining ground. Then, she felt it, a movement behind her, a sudden whoosh of air, and suddenly she was breaking left, pivoting on her heel to see Zaraki's blade come down on the ground she had just been on a moment before. Her eyes widened as that ground was turned to rubble. She spun back around, turning a corner, eyes searching desperately for anything that could help her.

She saw a door, saw that Zaraki had yet to turn that corner, and shoved her way through, closing it behind her, pressing her back against the opposite wall. She slammed a hand against her mouth, trying to silence her breathing only to tear it away immediately when something wet hit her face.

Glancing down at her hand she saw blood streaming down her palm dripping onto the floor below. Beside her she could see Sode's white hilt, stained.

Okay, they weren't as bad as they looked. She knew that. They were minor cuts. The bleeding was slowing already. They just stung a little, so, closing her eyes Rukia focused a bit of her Reiatsu into her hands. She let out a silent sigh of relief at the cooling sensation that it provided.

God, she felt pathetic, sitting here and hiding like this, but that guy out there, he was a monster.

 _But even monsters have their weaknesses._

Exactly. That was where her mind needed to be. She just had to think of what might take him down. Just cutting him with her sword wouldn't work. All she needed to know what _would_ work, where the chinks in his armor were.

"You're never going to get anywhere thinking like that."

"I thought I was doing pretty well," Rukia said, her fists clenching. She hated her voice for how it shook. Sode clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

"Listen to yourself, girl. You're like a frightened rabbit. You think the Shinigami a monster."

"Isn't he?" Rukia asked morosely. Sode sent her a withering glare.

"The only difference between you and that brute, is that you're still scared," she hissed out. Rukia just curled in on herself tighter, not saying a word. "You're scared to kill, scared to die, the only reason you've made it this far is how you're even more frightened of your friends dying in your stead."

"…No wonder you hate me."

"Perhaps," Sode said, "but while those first two fears are detestable, I believe we can work with the third one."

Rukia's eyes went up to Sode in disbelief the very moment she disappeared, just as large cracks started appearing in the far wall. Her grip went back on her Zanpakuto.

 _"_ _The only reason you've made it this far is how you're even more frightened of your friends dying in your stead."_

That was why she was here, wasn't it? That was always why she was here. With that thought in her head, Rukia stood up on quickly steadying legs.

With a mighty groan the wall gave way before her, revealing a bored looking Zaraki.

"You finally ready to fight?"

"Next Dance! White Ripple!"

Zaraki had no time or space to dodge her attack. He took it straight on, it hitting him dead in the chest and forcing him back with a stumble. The ice didn't spread like it should have, but it stuck. It actually fucking stuck.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" he roared.

"Let's end this quickly," Rukia hissed out.

"Quickly?" he asked with a quirked brow. "I'm just gettin' started."

He charged, and Rukia dodged the only way she could, jumping off the wall and going over his head, silently thanking the First for their incredibly high ceilings. She landed roughly out on the street, watching as Zaraki continued in his path, tearing through the entire building.

Rubble and dust spread outwards, Rukia bringing a free arm over her head to shield herself. She didn't have any time to be stunned by the impact. She just prepared a Second Dance, firing as soon as Zaraki arose from the rubble, blowing him back a second time.

He launched forward again, giving Rukia almost no time to call out "Third Dance, White Sword!" Hopefully, with this, she could finish it. Now, if only she could land a hit.

Dodging his attacks felt a lot less like evading an opponent and a lot more like tumbling out of the way of a speeding train. His power and reach were incredible, and it certainly didn't help that he was about twice her size (conservatively).

She kept an eye out all the while for the opportunity to arise, the moment she could give that final hit, but Zaraki didn't make it easy. He kept the fight going at his own insane pace, forcing her to keep her distance just to avoid grappling with him. She couldn't avoid it for long enough.

Just once, he was a little too fast, was on her just a little too quickly, and she was stuck holding her sword above her head, close to buckling under the force. Her arms burned, her legs shook. She could keep this up for maybe a few more seconds.

She took a good look at his sword, and suddenly an idea went through her mind. She smirked.

"You know," she said, "I've already hit you twice. If you don't release your Shikai, then at this rate–"

"Then what?"

The words sent a chill down Rukia's spine, but not nearly as much as his cold expression. Rukia's smirk dropped, and she found herself forced down, one knee on the ground.

"This is the only form my Zanpakuto has, and it's the only one it needs," he said with a snarl. "So, what, you can make me a little chilly."

He looked more than a little chilly. The skin on his chest was frozen, cracked, and starting to blacken with frostbite. It looked excruciating, but he didn't seem to mind at all.

"I've been holding back this whole time, just to make this fight a little interesting."

Rukia's breath caught in her throat. _What?!_

 _CRACK!_

Rukia was on her back, a loud shriek of pain tearing from her lips as she pressed a hand tightly to where her shoulder met her neck. Blood was gushing out, pooling beneath her. Her free hand scrambled on the ground for her Zanpakuto, knocked clean out of her hand. Then, she looked at what she was reaching for.

Her Zanpakuto was lying prone on the ground, cut cleanly in half at the blade.

"Tch…How boring," Zaraki scoffed. She could see him out of the corner of her eye, back turned. The bastard was just walking away.

"You were scared," Sode chided with a frown. She was leaning casually against the wall just in Rukia's vision.

 _I know that!_

Right now, she wasn't scared. She was pretty pissed off, actually, maybe even impressed. Zaraki took what she was trying to do and turned it back on her, probably without even meaning to.

She squeezed her eyes shut against a new wave of pain, crushing a groan in her chest.

"What will you do now?"

 _Not die, hopefully._

"Oh, is that all?" Sode asked with an eyeroll.

"O…of course…it…isn't," Rukia barely rasped out.

"Then, I repeat. What will you do now?"

 _Don't act like you don't already know. You want it too._

"Say it!"

Rukia grit her bloodied teeth. "W…w…win."

Sode looked down at Rukia after that, holding her gaze for a long while. Her face betrayed nothing. She just crouched down next to Rukia, her kimono trailing behind her.

"Then do it," she said. "Complete your Shikai and win."

Rukia took a rasping breath. She closed her eyes, opening them to find a trail of ice connecting her limp hand to the pieces of her Zanpakuto, the Ice-Rope.

"White…tree."

The ice followed Zaraki to where he was walking away, grabbing onto his feet and freezing them to the ground, keeping him from taking even another step.

"Huh, you're still alive."

When he turned, Rukia was standing up fully. Sode was whole again, hilt stuck fast to her hand with fingers too frozen to let go, even by accident.

"You've stopped bleeding, too," he commented, a tinge of confusion in his voice. She didn't really understand either, but right now wasn't the time to question things.

She just charged, White Sword still ready. She came at Zaraki before he had any real time to react, hitting the arm he brought up to block. Within seconds it was at his side, frozen and useless, and she didn't let up after that.

She went in for strike after strike as he guarded against her, one handed. He sent out a blow of his own, and she tumbled back as his Zanpakuto impacted into the wall next to him, sticking straight into it.

"I take it back," he said with a grin. " _Now_ things are getting interesting!"

He left his Zanpakuto in the wall, bringing up his good hand to his face. He ripped off his eyepatch, and if Rukia thought his Reiatsu was heavy before, she hadn't felt anything yet.

The eyepatch was a seal (with an incredibly grotesque mouth on the inside). At this point she wasn't even surprised. The guy was certainly crazy enough to have something like that, and now that it was gone, Rukia was struggling to just stay on her feet for the umpteenth time today.

"Take this as a compliment, girlie. I'm going all out!" He ripped his sword from the wall, and before Rukia's eyes the entire building collapsed.

"Show off," Rukia murmured with a heavy gulp. She couldn't let fear get to her again. _She couldn't let fear get to her again_.

That was easier said then done with the tremors caused by the impact. Still, she managed it somehow, and she was ready when Zaraki turned back on her.

This time, when she was forced back into dodging, Zaraki was leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. He was so fast she was having trouble keeping track of him. She was sure _he_ was having trouble keeping track of him with how he kept on crashing into things. He still managed to get back up each time, strong as ever.

She hissed out a curse when he sliced her cheek open and another when he grazed her back. The windows left for her to retaliate were nonexistent, but at least now she felt like she understood a thing or two about him. Rukia could now say with certainty what was so different with Zaraki.

He reveled in power in a way that others just didn't, maybe couldn't. He reveled in it in a way that seemed to be inhuman with open glee at all he could achieve and all he could destroy. She wondered why she had such a hard time seeing that before. Now, she could see it right on his face.

"His Zanpakuto is the same," Sode said at her back, an icy hand laying on her good shoulder. "It's quite funny how they understand each other so much yet so little. We have to be better."

When Rukia pushed back against Zaraki's strike she could feel another hand laying over her own, guiding her, adding to the strength she put into it, and she knew that this was what it was like to have a Zanpakuto. She delivered the final blow.

The fight was over before she even realized it. The ground was covered in rubble, the surrounding buildings in utter ruin. Rukia's Zanpakuto slid out of Zaraki's stomach as she stumbled back, falling flat onto the ground.

She looked up and saw him, grinning wide and standing proud, frozen perfectly in a moment of bliss. Rukia rested her head back on the ground, staring up at the sky. She realized she had won.

The corners of her vision were going dark, then. Clouds were blurring and spinning, and she felt that now might be a good time to rest her eyes for a bit until they stopped.

The last thing she heard was the voice of a little girl. She was thanking Rukia, of all things. Then again, that might have just been a dream.

Part III

Yoruichi led her charges quickly through the First Division, something that was easier said than done. The buildings around them were shaking, the ground cracking, and in the Soul Society, that really only meant one thing.

"Is this some kind of Earthquake?!" Renji yelled up at her.

"We don't get those here," she answered simply.

"Then what is it?" Uryuu asked, frustration clear in his voice.

 _Greenhorns_ , she thought to herself with a smile, though she didn't exactly feel like smiling.

"My guess is it's some kind of fight, and a big one at that," she finally answered. She could sense the flares of Reiatsu pretty easily from here, and both signatures were frighteningly familiar.

She knew she had to try and settle things before she suddenly had a dead human charge on her hands, but she also knew that dragging these two to that fight would yield a similar result. So, when the signatures started to head towards them, she made a split-second decision.

"This way!" she called, taking a sudden left. She didn't look back to see if the two boys had followed, just pressed further, frustrated for the umpteenth time that she couldn't go as fast as she wanted.

Maybe it was Kenpachi's crazy Reiatsu, or maybe Yoruichi was just getting flabby, but when she turned that corner, she just about rammed headfirst into someone on the other side.

"Ganju!" Renji cried out breathlessly.

"Is that a Shinigami?" Uryuu asked in a low voice. She could practically hear the kid's twitchy fingers.

"I'm surprised you got Orihime to come with you," Yoruichi said with a frown. The girl was currently passed out over Ganju's shoulder. She looked uninjured, but still…

"Yeah," Ganju gasped out. He looked pale, frazzled. "She's been, uh… Listen she needs some help and Rukia stayed behind to fight this Captain, and we haven't seen her since, and–!"

"Ganju!" Yoruichi cut off. He froze, eyes wide. "I can take care of it," she assured. "Let's find you kids someplace safe to rest for now. You can tell us what happened on the way there."

Yoruichi kept an ear open during her search for safety as Ganju launched into his explanation, a little calmer this time around. She could put together most of the story herself, but it did give her some better insight on what was wrong with Orihime. He was about halfway through when she stumbled across a supply closet with boxes of uniforms lining the walls.

His story ended just as Yoruichi finished checking Orihime over. Yoruichi was no medic, but this case was pretty cut and dry.

"She's exhausted," Yoruichi said. "It was probably all the back to back healing and fighting that did it. Let her get some rest and when she wakes up, give her one of those Soldier Pills."

With that, Yoruichi stood back up. She'd spent enough time here already.

"Stay put," she said. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

The others looked up at her, their faces a range of unsure to flat out worried. None of them said anything, and Yoruichi left, quietly closing the door behind her, placing a Kidō ward on the outside before running off, one meant to subtly trip up any trackers that might be looking for a couple of vulnerable Ryoka.

By the time she really got moving, the sweeping flairs of Reiatsu had already ceased. Yoruichi ran a little faster.

She arrived far later than she should have, (now she _knew_ she was getting rusty) and what she arrived to was a complete wasteland. Surrounding her were leveled buildings, streets reduced to rubble, and enough collateral damage to make a seasoned paper-pusher blush. In the middle of it all, much to Yoruichi's shock, was a perfectly frozen Kenpachi Zaraki, grinning like the absolute maniac he was.

For a moment, Yoruichi thought Rukia actually managed to kill him, but upon further examination, she sensed a bit of his Reiatsu, pulsing underneath.

 _Goddamn cockroach._

Something about that had Yoruichi smiling, but with a shake of her head she forced it away. She still had reason to be worried. That reason was lying on the ground unconscious, and slowly getting paler from what looked like severe blood loss.

"Yoruichi! You're back!" called a voice that she hadn't heard in about a hundred years. Yachiru came at Yoruichi, arms wide open. The former Captain didn't hesitate to scoop her up in a hug, settling the girl on her hip.

"Hey, squirt! You still remember me!"

Yachiru nodded happily. Yoruichi may not have had much time to interact with Yachiru before she was suddenly off and away to take care of a centuries-old conspiracy, but the little time she had she looked back on fondly.

Yoruichi feigned a confused look on her face, quirking her head to the side as she brought up a hand to compare Yachiru's boosted height to her own.

"You're as tall as me!" Yoruichi cried out. The girl shook her head, giggling.

"I already called the Fourth," Yachiru announced, wiggling her way from Yoruichi's hold. "They should be here any minute."

Huh, she'd gotten a lot more responsible, hadn't she?

"Don't worry, squirt," Yoruichi said with a wink. "Kenpachi will be fine."

"I knew that!" Yachiru said, sticking out a stubborn lip.

"I know, I know."

With ease, Yoruichi scooped up Rukia in her arms, thankful that she'd already shifted out of her cat form a while ago. Her breathing was weak, but steady, not the worst sign.

"Make sure not to tell any of those medics I was here, okay?" Yoruichi asked. Yachiru made a show of miming zipping up her lips and throwing out the key.

Yoruichi took off then. Thinking quickly about what her next move might be. Orihime was unconscious (from overwork, no less) so Yoruichi would have to take care of Rukia's wounds, no two ways about it. She only knew one place in the Soul Society that both had the supplies needed and was away from prying eyes, and that was the old Hideout.

Yoruichi could feel her nostalgia coming back in full force.

* * *

 **So…I realized after the last chapter that some of you were having fun theorizing about who the bad guy for this fic is, and with this chapter I can safely say that was something I decided not to change in adaptation. I thought about it once. There's an outline in some notebook somewhere about at AU where Urahara's the villain, but in the end I decided against it, and as the story goes on, I hope you will understand why.**

 **Sorry to any who were looking forward to a villainous Urahara.**

 **Also, I know Soldier Pills are a Naruto thing. I quite like them as a concept, and thought they would be useful so I'm folding them into Bleach's lore, here.**

 **Want to fight me about the above or just say hi? Hit me up in the comments section. (They give me life.)**


	23. XXIII

**Upon posting I'll have returned from my Midterm break. That's fitting since this chapter's got some angst my boi.**

* * *

Part I

Usually when someone says they'll be back soon, they mean it. Uryuu had at least hoped Yoruichi meant it when she ran off to find Orikasa many hours ago.

Abarai groaned loudly, slumping against the wall in frustration. "We've been waiting here forever!"

"Quit your whining," Ganju snapped. "It hasn't been that long."

Uryuu would beg to differ. Through a tiny window in the corner he could see that the sun was setting, orange light seeping through. He'd go out to check for himself, but he had far more important things to be keeping an eye on.

The Quincy would be the first to admit (enthusiastically, in fact) that he was mistrustful of Shinigami at the best of times. He would also admit that there were some exceptions to this mistrust. Orikasa was one (mostly because she was human), Shiba was another because of his status as a traitor, Yoruichi was yet another because…well he wasn't really sure what she was yet.

That was beside the point, though. He didn't like Shinigami. He had his "exceptions". The girl lying unconscious in front of him was no "exception".

The Shinigami in their midst was an unknown variable, a supposed good Samaritan that "just happened" to stumble across Orikasa and Ganju in their time of need. Uryuu didn't like her. Uryuu didn't trust her, and he would be sure to keep a steady eye on her.

She seemed genuinely unconscious, at least, though she was starting to stir. Occasionally she would shift or sigh as if she were in the middle of a dream. Her hair (almost as irritatingly orange as Shiba's) was falling out of the careful way she had pinned it, probably to keep it out of the way while she worked. _It looked so soft_ …

He was getting off topic, wasn't he?

So lost in his observations, Uryuu didn't realize that he was being stared back at by bleary grey eyes. He looked away as quickly as he could.

"She's waking up," he announced just loud enough for the others to hear. He moved away from the girl, telling himself that it was so Ganju could get a better look at her, and not because of his embarrassment at being caught staring. (She probably wouldn't remember. She didn't even look awake, yet.)

Ganju spoke to the girl, voice soft and low. Uryuu didn't pay much attention to the words he just leaned back and waited. He was startled upright when the girl let out a high-pitched gasp. He almost activated his bow right then and there.

"Woah, woah, take it easy," Ganju said. He had both hands on her shoulders, trying to keep her in the makeshift cot made up of several folded uniforms. When her breathing finally steadied the man placed a quarter sized pill in her shaky hand. She took it without a word looking equal parts dazed and confused.

"What happened?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

"You knocked yourself out is what happened," Ganju said with a shaky grin. "We got away from Kenpachi thanks to Rukia, and right now we're just waiting for Yoruichi to come back with her."

"Wait," Inoue said, shaking her head, "Yoruichi is here? _Captain_ Yoruichi?"

 _Captain_ , huh? Interesting.

The Shinigami shook her head again, as if resigning herself. With that, the sleep fully left her eyes and she got a good look at where she was, eyes lingering on the two new faces. She lingered even longer on the one that was missing. She sucked in a steeling breath.

"We'll just have to trust her," Inoue said resolutely, a tight-lipped smile on her face.

Uryuu wasn't sure which "her" the Shinigami was talking about, but he still stowed away what he had seen then. She looked toward Uryuu and Abarai.

"You're Rukia's friends, aren't you?" Clasping her hands in front her the Shinigami said, "Let me guess… You're Renji," she said, pointing to Abarai who grinned in response, "and you're Ishida," pointing to the Quincy. "I suppose I should introduce myself," she said with a shy laugh. "I'm Orihime Inoue. You can call me Orihime."

Uryuu wouldn't, but took note of the offer, anyway. He cleared his throat.

"Now that our…guest is awake, we need to talk about our next course of action," he said plainly.

"Haven't you been paying attention?" Ganju asked gruffly. "We're waiting for Yoruichi to get back. She said she'd be here soon."

"Soon was at least three hours ago," Uryuu answered with crossed arms. "We can't wait here forever."

"We won't." Ganju was starting to sound angry. "Yoruichi's coming, and I'm not going out there to get separated again just because you're scared, Qui–!"

"Ganju, he has a point," Inoue said quietly. This shut Ganju up immediately, which was a good thing because based on his next words he and Uryuu may have had a problem. "From what I understand we don't have any way of contacting Cap…err, Yoruichi. If for any reason she _couldn't_ come back to us safely, we'd never know. Staying at your station is important, but…" she trailed off.

Uryuu finished for her, "Staying for the sake of staying is just stupid."

Letting out a huff, Ganju said, "I guess you have a point there, four-eyes, but we need to at least give Yoruichi a chance to get here."

"We'd just be wasting time. Have you forgotten that the execution is in a mere three days?"

Ganju visibly flinched at the number, muttering, "Of course I haven't." Still, he wouldn't break Uryuu's gaze. For a moment Uryuu felt thankful that he wasn't stuck with him during that first section of the mission.

"…tomorrow." Abarai said this, more to himself than anything, but it still caught the attention of everyone in the room.

"What?" Uryuu asked.

"We can wait until tomorrow," Abarai said with much more conviction, "then we'll start moving. Yoruichi said she'd come back soon, right? So, if she doesn't come back by the end of the day then we know something happened, but until then…" Abarai looked at Uryuu, painfully perceptive, "let's be honest. You're tired, too."

Uryuu could see Abarai, roughed up, scuffed up, and in overall bad condition. Interrogation tended to do that to someone. For the first time Uryuu thought that he must not look much better.

"Then that settles it," Ganju said firmly. "We wait here until tomorrow." Uryuu wasn't happy with it, but he had no real arguments.

"I'll take the first watch," Inoue volunteered.

"You need to get more rest," Ganju countered.

"I've _been_ resting," Inoue said with a wave of her hand. "I couldn't even sleep if I tried."

That won Ganju over in the end, and it was silently agreed that Inoue would take the first watch of the night. After that would be Ganju (he insisted), then Abarai, and then finally Uryuu.

During this negotiation Uryuu was combing through the food that Yoruichi had left behind. There were a few bags of shrimp chips, some very sugary canned drinks (that Ganju had to help Inoue open), and a couple of protein bars. It wasn't the most wholesome dinner, but at least there was enough to go around. He handed them out evenly and was a little surprised at Inoue's response to this.

"Thank you," she told him brightly.

He tried to say something about how he wasn't even the one to bring these but could only manage a quiet "you're welcome," as he placed the items into her small calloused hands. He made the mistake of taking another look at her kind face afterwards.

He was getting off topic again, wasn't he?

Part II

Rukia woke up slowly, practically dragging herself into consciousness. She wasn't sure where she was, who she was with, and she was in a considerable amount of pain. The fact that this was the second time she's experienced such a thing was starting to worry her.

She couldn't focus on that, though. She instead turned her mind to the sound of rustling leaves right outside, the low whistle of the wind. The room she was in was dim, but warm. Sunlight streamed through in fine lines, cascading over a stone floor.

"Hey, kid," a voice said, and Rukia nearly choked. She was wide awake now.

Looking down at her was a pair of golden eyes that she swore she recognized on a face that she had never seen in her life. Fragments of questions ran through Rukia's mind, but she just couldn't put them together. The woman continued.

"You're more stubborn than I first thought," she said with an easy smile. "You're awake and everything. Do you remember what happened?"

Rukia began shifting into a sitting position only to bite back a groan of pain at the effort. She settled herself back down.

"I'm starting to," Rukia whispered out. "Did you…" _Save me? Heal me?_ "Who are you?"

The woman smirked. "What you don't recognize me? At least try and guess. You just might get it right."

She said this with a certain edge, as if she were issuing a challenge. Call Rukia paranoid, but she was on guard immediately, looking into the woman's large eyes, searching. That was the key, wasn't it? There was just something in _those eyes._

"Yoruichi?!" Rukia yelled. The sound choked in her throat, and she brought her hand up to her chest, feeling a bandage over a wound that she didn't remember getting. God, she felt less like she was in a nasty fight and a lot more like she'd just gotten hit by a train.

"See?" Yoruichi said with a smile. "And you only needed one guess."

"You were a Shinigami this whole time," Rukia said, a little dazed.

"You didn't think I was just some cat, now, did you?" Yoruichi asked cheekily.

Rukia answered dryly, "Most cats don't talk."

"Or have significant Reiatsu!"

"Or that."

Looking at Yoruichi now, the real Yoruichi, Rukia could see that the woman had plenty of the stuff. Tightly packed Spiritual Pressure was wrapped around the woman, carefully contained, but just as intense as anyone she'd faced in recent memory. It made her think about just how little she knew about Yoruichi, or Kukaku for that matter.

"Where are we?" Rukia finally decided to ask.

"We're at a Hideout not even the Captain Commander knows about," Yoruichi said pridefully. "We're just under Sōkyoku Hill, right on the cliffside."

"Sōkyoku Hill?" Rukia gasped.

Yoruichi nodded solemnly. "The execution is going to take place right at the top of this hill in three days."

"Then I don't have time to be lying around," Rukia said. She levered herself out of bed, biting back any groans. By the time she was sitting up, she was panting, and feeling a little sweaty. She realized absently that Yoruichi had a hand at her back the whole time.

"Moving around should be good for you, but you don't want to over do it," Yoruichi said patiently. Then, a little harsher, "I know what you're thinking, so don't even try it."

Good, Rukia thought. Then she didn't have to explain herself.

"People are after me, I'm out of my league, I know all that already," Rukia said with frustration. "We're close. Why don't we just finish this _now_?"

"Maybe because you can't even sit up without tiring yourself out."

Rukia's jaw tightened. She said nothing.

Running a hand through her hair, Yoruichi continued, "You think you know what you're getting into, but you don't, Rukia."

"It's Captain Aizen, right?" Rukia asked quietly. "They increased security or something…"

"Captain Isshin Shiba is looking for you."

Rukia swallowed heavily.

Captain Isshin Shiba. Rukia remembers that name. (How could she ever forget?) She remembers his scruffy face, kind and just a little sad turning ruthless as he drove his Zanpakuto through her. She'd figured this one was coming.

"Do you see now?" Yoruichi asked. Rukia didn't meet her eyes for a moment. They narrowed, warningly, and with much hesitation, Rukia nodded. At that, Yoruichi let out a deep sigh.

"I still don't want to just sit around waiting," Rukia said quietly.

"Well," Yoruichi said, crossing her arms, "what _do_ you want to do?"

Rukia thought for a moment, biting her lip. "You said we were on a cliffside, right? How did you get up here?"

Yoruichi's eyes widened, and she relaxed minutely. "I did that with Shunpo. It's a pretty useful technique. I could show you the basics, if you want."

After some hesitation, Rukia nodded resolutely. Yoruichi helped Rukia to her feet with a smile, and began to explain the basics.

Shunpo was a difficult technique, one that took decades to master. (Yoruichi was pretty eager to brag that she was one of the best at it.) Today, she would be teaching Rukia a more basic form of it, Hohō.

The idea was to put some Spiritual Energy at the base of your feet, just the right amount, and at just the right moment to propel yourself forward. All Shinigami do this, at least subconsciously, but if you can perfect it, you can move faster than the eye can see.

Rukia got to try this herself in the confines of this room, taking a few stumbling steps, trying to find the balance of power needed to go faster without faceplanting on the ground. This resulted in icy patches littering the floor, and a grinning Rukia.

She was able to take her practice outside of the room after that and onto the protected cliffside. The first thing Rukia did was take a deep breath of the clear morning air, enjoying the daylight. The second thing she did was try and see if she could run towards a nearby tree without hitting it.

It didn't quite work out at first, but she got better quickly.

By the time they were done Rukia was sweating, her wounds were aching, but she was at least twice as fast as before. It was then that Yoruichi called it off for the day.

"That's enough," Yoruichi said, looking up at the sky. "You need rest, and I need to make sure your friends don't think they've been abandoned."

Rukia was quickly shuffled inside, the covers tucked around her. Yoruichi left in a flash without so much as a goodbye. Rukia waited for a few moments after that, counting the seconds in her head.

When she decided she'd had enough, she shoved the covers off herself, opened the wide wooden door that led to the outside, and looked out. Before her was a swathe of trees on a deep incline. Slim paths were below. She could make it to one if she just tried, and she knew she had to try.

Ichigo was closer than ever before, and there was no way she was going to just sit there and wait for the execution date to arrive. Sending a silent apology to Yoruichi, Rukia jumped.

For a terrifying moment, Rukia was falling towards a path that was much too far away to be safe. She knew she needed to use the skills she had literally _just learned,_ or she would hit the ground very, very hard. She concentrated some Reiryoku in her feet, and before she knew it, she was stumbling across, safe. Then she was tumbling over. She'd put too much in.

"Shit!" she yelled out. She was already going through the trees, tumbling down. She reached out a hand and grabbed for something, anything.

Rukia jerked to a stop. Her eyes opened slowly. She regretted this immediately.

Her feet were dangling over a sheer drop. There was no more path below her, just the concrete of the First Division and buildings so far away they looked like toys.

She scrambled back immediately, gripping the tree and pulling herself up until her feet meet solid ground again. She felt like collapsing in relief.

She'd say she couldn't believe she actually survived that, but she survived Kenpachi _so there._

Speaking of that, she could feel her wounds throbbing. It was much too late to turn back, though. All she did was tuck her kimono tighter around her body and hope that she hadn't reopened anything. Then, she looked up.

She could see the tall white tower at the very heart of the Soul Society. It was where Ichigo was being held, and it was so close. She could even see the bridge that went right from the hill to the tower, and something about that made her gut twist.

Ichigo was there, at that very moment, with a perfect view of his execution site. She suddenly remembered the name the tower was given, "Repentance Cell" and finally understood why it was called that. She felt her fists clench despite herself.

Now wasn't the time to get angry. She'd save that for whatever battle she'd be facing. Now she just needed to figure out how to get to that cell as quickly as possible.

With a heavy gulp, she looked over the cliff once again, resisting the vertigo that overtook her. She leaned over and saw the sheer drop, but she noticed a whole lot more this second time around.

The cliff went inward from where she was, a gradual curve then going outwards until it connected to the ground smoothly. At the very bottom she could see a narrow path, leading up and curving around the hill.

 _Bingo!_

She began to run.

Part III

Ichigo stared at Sōkyoku Hill, unmoving.

Oh, he'd seen it before, but he'd never been this close. Yesterday, he'd had the time to memorize the exact shape of the cliff face. Today, he decided to see if he could count every single tree on it. He's not sure what he'll do the next two, but he supposed it didn't matter.

 _Fuck this._

He'd rather listen to another one of Sentarō and Kiyone's arguments then think about the shape of the hill he was going to die on. He'd rather drag a drunken Captain Kyoraku back to his Division. He'd goddamn rather have Captain Unohana yell at him again!

Then again, it's not like he had much else to think about.

He tugged at the collar of his white kimono. Why did he suddenly feel like it was hard to breathe?

 _No, no, there's gotta be something else. You had a pretty good life, after all! Three hundred and twelve isn't a bad run. That's a lot more than most humans can brag about._

He accomplished a lot during those years. He became a Lieutenant, succeeding his Uncle. He basically ran the Thirteenth Squad all by himself for many years.

 _I wonder how Captain Ukitake's holding up? Last I heard, he was starting to come down with something, again. The Thirteenth may be peaceful, but the paperwork ain't any less. I usually do it all myself when he's sick. I wonder who's going to do it after…_

No, no, that was no good. There had to be something else to think about, preferably something that wouldn't send him into a depression.

He'd met a lot of interesting people over the years, both in the Soul Society and out! That had to count for something!

 _When's the last time I've talked to them anyway? Orihime, Chad, Tatsuki… It's been way too long, that's for goddamn sure. We had some good times back at Shin'ō Academy, even if Tatsuki was mad at me for a lot of it. I never did find out why. I guess I'm never going to know now because…_

Gods why was this so difficult?! Ichigo was starting to get pissed off, here! Couldn't he get one moment of peace, one moment of things being just _alright_ , of him not feeling like shit?

What about his family? There had to be a silver lining there because at least he'd…he'd…

 _I'd get to see my mom again…maybe. That wouldn't be so bad, right? I could tell her everything that happened, all the things I've done, the places I've been, and I might even make her smile._

 _Well, she'd smile until she realized you left your sisters alone. You said you'd look after them, that they were your responsibility, and sure maybe you haven't been too good at that lately, but at least they knew you were there, and now…now…_

Ichigo didn't realize he was crying, not at first, anyway. He felt something wet on his hand and thought there might have been some kind of leak in the tower. Then they kept coming and coming, and he realized that someone was sobbing and no one else was even here and he felt like he couldn't breathe.

He shouldn't be crying. He accepted this, his punishment, the moment that Tatsuki came for him in the World of the Living. Then why couldn't he stop crying?

That was it, wasn't it? That was the real kicker. He still didn't want to die.

Ichigo held his head in his hands, gripping tightly on his hair as he let himself fall apart, and all he could think of was how much of a coward he was.

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

"Ichigo!"

A sob caught itself in his throat. His heart pounded, and he stifled any sounds he was making, rubbing his face clean with his sleeve. The voice was muffled. Who even was that?

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

"Ichigo, are you in there?"

He heard the voice clearer this time, and he almost laughed hysterically. Of course, it was her. Who else would it be?

"I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm going to break down the door, okay, so stand back!"

Ichigo did the only thing he could. He put on a smile, shaky but genuine, and he sucked in a big breath. He hoped he didn't sound like he'd just been crying his eyes out when he yelled, as loud as he could:

"RUKIA!"

Part IV

Her name, garbled and muffled from the other side of a solid stone door, was easily the best thing Rukia had heard since this whole crazy mission began. Rukia was breaking into a grin, pumping her fist in the air in victory, the works!

"I'm here!" she said. She unsheathed her Zanpakuto. "Now stand back."

Rukia briefly thought over how she would do this. Theoretically, a bit of ice followed by a solid blow should do it, but she'd never tried this on stone, before.

Well, now was as good a time to try as any.

"Dance! Sode no Shira–!"

"Sorry, but I need to stop you there."

The name caught in Rukia's throat as she whipped around to see who it was, though she could already hazard a guess.

There, looking grim, and about as happy about this as Rukia felt was Captain Shiba flanked by another Captain with white flowing hair and pale skin.

Rukia activated her Shikai then, cool air billowing out from her as she stared down the Captains. Captain Shiba just sighed tiredly, unsheathing his own Zanpakuto.

"Burn, Engetsu."

The second those words were uttered all Rukia could feel was heat surrounding her, completely overwhelming her. It wasn't quite like Tatsuki's Reiatsu, which reminded Rukia of a raging furnace. This was like she had stood too close to the eruption of a geyser. It was powerful, a force of nature. Rukia had to take a moment to get her bearings.

"Isshin, let's not be too hasty," the other Captain said pacifyingly. He laid a hand on Captain Shiba's arm, a hand that was quickly brushed off.

"You know why I have to do this, Ukitake."

The other Captain silenced at this, withdrawing his hand completely. He never agreed, not so much as nodding. He just stepped back, accepting. At least Rukia knew she'd only be fighting one of them.

Rukia wasted no time after that. She turned her sword and with a swift stab into the ground she yelled, "White Tree!" She sent a trail of ice right at Captain Shiba, knowing that if she caught so much as a toe she could–

He was right in front of her. When did he even move?

(She knew what this was. This was Shunpo, just like she'd been warned.)

Rukia brought up her blade to block, back to the stone door. She was already buckling under his weight, weakened from her last fight. She had to finish this quickly.

Using her Hohō she sprung left, and then above the man, kicking off his head to get out of the corner she had stuck herself in.

"Your reaction time's gotten better," he commented idly. It may have been encouraging if he wasn't trying to kill her.

"I had some help," Rukia said with a smile.

"I'm sure you did."

Behind him Rukia could hear Ichigo. He was pounding on the door desperately and yelling out words that she couldn't parse. There was maybe even a Kidō Spell or two mixed in there, but it did nothing.

"To be honest," the Captain continued, a humorless smile on his face, turning his blade in his hands, "I don't like fighting young people. You all have so much potential. You take each loss so personally. You just haven't learned that sometimes, losing just happens. So, I'm going to make this quick, for both our sakes."

Captain Shiba raised his Zanpakuto over his head, a cold look in his eye.

"Getsuga Tensh–!"

He cut himself off. He tried to lower his blade, but couldn't, and Rukia didn't need long to figure out why. Yoruichi was standing behind him, holding tight onto a piece of cloth lassoed around his blade.

The Captain swung behind him, blade passing right through where Yoruichi was a second ago. She moved away faster than Rukia could keep track of and landed right between her and Captain Shiba, facing him. The Captain's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Yo…Yoruichi?" he gasped out. "But…" he was glancing quickly between Rukia and Yoruichi, barely able to figure out what he was seeing.

Yoruichi wasn't paying attention to him, though. She was looking over her shoulder, glaring right at Rukia behind her. Rukia felt a shiver go down her spine.

Yoruichi raised her leg in what Rukia was sure were the beginnings of a roundhouse kick, but Rukia never saw the follow through (or at least never remembered). She blacked out upon impact.

Part V

Rukia didn't wake up in a strange place with strange people, in pain, for once. She woke up being carried away to the Hideout, slung over Yoruichi's shoulder, face pressed against the woman's bright orange jacket, wind whistling by her ears.

She started struggling immediately.

"Put me down!" Rukia yelled in Yoruichi's ear. The woman flinched away with a grimace at the noise but kept a tight grip.

"That's funny!" Yoruichi said with a phony smile. "You think I'm just going to 'put you down' after a stunt like that!" She scoffed. "I'm not letting you out of my sight for a minute."

Rukia kept kicking. She was so close before! Hell, her and Yoruichi probably could have taken on that Captain together. Instead, she was getting stuck on Yoruichi's version of a timeout.

Yoruichi didn't let Rukia down when they got to the clearing of the Hideout. She didn't even let her down on the cot when they walked inside. She instead brought Rukia in further, kicking aside a shelf on the far wall. Rukia had to twist her body to see, but no, Yoruichi wasn't just kicking things out of frustration.

In the wall was a mysterious entryway, right where the bookshelf was. Yoruichi ducked into it, and once they were fully inside, Rukia got a good look at the place, and it looked awfully familiar.

"This looks just like the training room under Auntie's house," Rukia said, mouth agape. She bit back a groan when Yoruichi dropped her very suddenly onto the sandy floor.

"The design of that training room was based off this one," Yoruichi explained snappily. She stared down at Rukia, not offering so much as a hand.

Rukia shrunk under the scrutiny, righting herself into a sitting position without a word.

"Do you know what you did?" Yoruichi asked quietly.

"Yeah," Rukia spat out. "I went to rescue my friend, like we've been planning." Maybe she'd gotten tired of sticking to the plan and waiting, after a while. Maybe she'd gotten sick of weaving through the Soul Society and ducking into sewers and closets every few seconds. Maybe she just wanted to do something!

"No," Yoruichi said. She was rubbing her temples, utterly frustrated. "Nothing about that was in the plan. You went there alone and injured with no plan other than to bust in and bust out."

"Hey! I was just–!"

Yoruichi raised her hand, silencing. The words settled in Rukia's gut like a stone.

"Your friends were waiting for me," Yoruichi said. "They were waiting in the First Division for me to come back and for _some reason_ I was too busy to do that. I'm not even sure if I can try and go back anymore, not without you trying to escape again! They probably think you're dead by now, and let's not even think about what's going through poor Ichigo's head!"

Rukia stayed silent, staring at the floor, but she could feel herself grow colder with every word. She had acted first and thought later. She _knew that_.

Now she was thinking. She was thinking about just how right Yoruichi was.

"I…I'm…" She tried to say "sorry", but it was like something was blocking her throat.

Yoruichi let out a deep sigh.

"Listen," the woman started, "I get it. I know what happened with Madarame, Tatsuki, and Kenpachi. You've been fighting on your own for a while, so what you did probably felt right. I think you know, now, that it wasn't."

"I'm sorry," she finally managed. Yoruichi said nothing, just helped Rukia all the way up and watched as she dusted herself off.

"Your wounds haven't reopened, have they?" she asked.

"I don't think so," Rukia answered truthfully. She was sore, but it seemed like everything was holding up, a miracle, considering.

"Good, you're going to need your strength, for this next bit." As Yoruichi said this she turned, walking deeper into the grounds, silently inviting Rukia to follow.

The place was startlingly similar, but not everything was the same. The terrain that she had familiarized herself with so much was different. Rocks and mountains were in different places, and she noticed several strange lakes and streams.

"Why are we here?" Rukia asked, rushing to keep in step with Yoruichi.

Glancing over her shoulder she answered, "Believe it or not, you weren't just going to lie down and rest. We don't have that kind of time to waste."

Rukia's brow furrowed in confusion.

"You've unlocked your full Shikai, right?" Yoruichi asked suddenly.

"Yeah," Rukia answered, a little confused, "yesterday while I was fighting Kenpachi."

Yoruichi nodded. "That's good," she said. "That means you're advancing quickly. Then there might be a chance…" She trailed off.

"A chance at what?"

Yoruichi stopped in front of what almost looked like a training dummy. It was just a little too oddly shaped to be practical and had no targets. There were just some strange markings that Rukia couldn't decipher. Yoruichi put a hand on its misshapen shoulder.

"Before I go any further, I have to ask you something." Yoruichi said this quietly, reaching into her jacket. She pulled out a familiar looking white mask, severely cracked at the temple. It was a mask that Rukia was sure she had ditched yesterday. "Do you know what this is?"

Rukia held her tongue. The look Yoruichi gave her was intense and completely unforgiving, and somewhere in her heart Rukia knew that there would be dire consequences if she answered this one wrong. The problem was, she had no idea what answer would be right. She just had to hope that the truth would be good enough.

She started cautiously, "Orihime found a mask just like this on me after I fought Tatsuki…and…"

 _And I think my Zanpakuto is turning into a Hollow._

No, she couldn't say that. She didn't even know how that made any sense. For all she knew Yoruichi would burst out laughing if she said that.

Yoruichi studied Rukia all the while, looking carefully and then looking away. Rukia wasn't sure what she saw, but the woman said nothing more on the matter.

"Then I only have one other thing to ask. Do you know what Bankai is?"

 _No._ The confusion was evident on Rukia's face.

Yoruichi continued, "This is the next step in your Zanpakuto's evolution. It isn't the final step, but for many it's a crucial one.

"Normally, developing your Bankai can take decades or even centuries of training and bargaining with your Zanpakuto, but with this," she patted the mannequin beside her, "you can get it done in three days."

"Three days?" Rukia said, then she took a step back, a bit confused. "Why don't all Shinigami do this?" She pretty sure most of the Shinigami she'd fought so far didn't have something like that. At least one of them would have shown it to her, by now.

"This method doesn't work very often," Yoruichi admitted. "The only other person who's used it successfully was the one who made it. It's a bit too," she struggled to find the word for a moment, "volatile for mass use."

 _Volatile, huh_. Nothing about that sounded good.

"So, how does it work?" asked Rukia.

"You run it through with your Zanpakuto," Yoruichi said with a shrug. "Your Zanpakuto's spirit manifests for three days, and during that time it's all up to you."

Rukia did not like the sound of that _at all_. Sode no Shirayuki was difficult to deal with on a good day!

Then again, things hadn't been so bad lately. Maybe they had a chance? She just had to ask two questions before she could decide.

"What happens if I don't get Bankai?"

Yoruichi grimaced. "Your growth as a Shinigami will be stunted. You will never reach Bankai no matter how hard you try. Knowing this, do you still want to give it a shot? No one will blame you if you don't."

"That depends," Rukia said firmly. "As I am now, will I be able to defeat Captain Shiba?"

Yoruichi let out a heavy groan. "Ideally you wouldn't have to, but honestly… I'm surprised you've made it as far as you have."

Rukia took her answer with a wince. It wasn't like she hadn't expected that it. At least it made her next decision easy.

"Okay," she said. "I'll do the training. I'll get my Bankai."

* * *

 **This chapter is surprisingly loaded considering it's not nearly the longest I've posted (or will post). I'm the type that likes to leave interpretations to the audience and tries to only clarify lore related bits, but I'm going to clarify one little bit that lies somewhere in between.**

 **Rukia is getting more aggressive as the story continues, and this will be a trend from here on out. It's as much due to her experiences as it is due to the influences of Sode and her inner Hollow, and I just think that should be mentioned before we go forward.**

 **If you'd rather I shut the fuck up and not specify these kinds of things feel free to tell me, I'll listen. If you want me to drop little nuggets like this more often also tell me because your comments give me life.**


	24. XXIV

**Hey this includes some non-sexual nudity! It's not graphic and this probably the only warning I'm ever going to give you ever because I like surprises, and all of the violence is canon-typical anyway.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Part I

When Sode no Shirayuki appeared in place of the mannequin, it felt markedly different from every other time that she'd shown herself to Rukia. She didn't just materialize and dematerialize at will like a cross between a ghost and an unruly house guest, she came in a burst of cold wind that had Yoruichi taking a cautious step back, and then a few more to give the two some privacy.

More notably, though, Sode looked…well, Rukia wasn't sure how she looked.

Rukia had never once seen Sode like this, eyebrows furrowed on her delicate face, a hand worrying the sleeve of her pure white kimono. She'd seen Sode look serene, disappointed, completely pissed off, and in some very rare cases pleased. This new look scared Rukia.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sode asked quietly. Maybe, despite everything, they _had_ managed to form a bond because Rukia hears the question for what it is, a plea. _You don't want to do this._

"Now's a bit late to turn back," Rukia answered with crooked humorless smile. She was getting the feeling she'd made a mistake here.

Sode took a moment to visibly steel herself, taking a steadying breath. Her back straightened, her face relaxed, and that feeling faded away.

"Very well, then." As Sode said this, she held out a hand materializing ice from thin air and gathering into her palm. Before Rukia's eyes she formed a sword with it in the shape of her own. It looked more like a well-made ice sculpture than her Shikai, but Rukia felt the power radiating from it regardless.

With one elegant swipe in the air, a wave of cold went over them and the arena around them was covered in it. Soft snow blanketed the ground. Rock formations were cased in ice. Icicles hung from them catching light from the artificial sun. It was a winter wonderland. Rukia's mouth fell open.

"Don't look so impressed," Sode said, tone full of distaste. "If you complete your Bankai you will be able to do the same." Then, turning her newly crafted blade to Rukia, she said, "Let's begin"

It took Rukia one second too long to figure out what Sode's intentions were, and by then she was tumbling backwards into the snow trying not to get impaled by her own Zanpakuto. Wasn't this familiar.

"Wait!" Rukia cried out between one dodge and the next, "I don't even –" she ducked away from a strike, "have a sword!" It had disappeared with the mannequin, replaced by Sode's current form.

"Then you'll just have to make do, won't you?"

Rukia slipped on a patch of ice at those words, thinking that was pretty damn coldhearted, even for Sode. She scrambled up and found her fingers catching on a very oddly shaped piece of ice. Grabbing it without thinking she wrenched it from the ground, and raised it above her head to block, finding herself holding an exact replica of Sode's weapon.

For a moment, the two were in deadlock, Sode's face unmoving. Rukia slid back, kicking up and into the spirit's wrist and forcing Sode's weapon out of her hands. It shattered onto a nearby rock. Rukia brought herself to feet, a tight grip on her sword.

"That's it?" she asked with a deep frown "No explanation, no long speech, just _fight me_?" Her only answer was Sode materializing a new blade and going in for another strike (and another and another and another).

Rukia couldn't do any special attacks like this, not with the pace that Sode kept, not with how close her Zanpakuto stayed during her attacks. Even with her newly learned Hohō, Rukia couldn't get a single hit in, mostly because Sode had no problem at all matching and then exceeding Rukia's speed.

Rukia was pushed, pulled, dragged, and sliced, but she tried relentlessly to give as good as she got. The results were…mixed. She wasn't sure how long the fight lasted in the end, but she remembered exactly how it ended.

Rukia was going as fast as she could without faceplanting into the snow in an attempt to set the battle to her own pace. She went just a fraction faster, miscalculated, and found her foot sliding on a patch of ice. She stumbled and that was all Sode needed.

She felt Sode behind her, and before she had any time to react Sode was driving the hilt of her sword right into the back of Rukia's head. She hit the ground, arms going up to catch herself as she ignored the pounding in her skull, landing with a solid _thump_ and a curse.

 _Crack!_

The sound was quiet, but it rang clearly through the otherwises peaceful atmosphere. Rukai looked up and saw Sode's wooden tabi clad foot in between the shattered remains of Rukia's makeshift sword.

The Spirit took a step away, not sparing Rukia a glance as she turned.

"We're done here."

"What?" Rukia asked dumbly. "No! We still…!" She struggled to find the words, panting. "I can keep going!"

Sode wasn't listening. She was walking away further into the training center heading deeper into the mist that had settled in the heart of it. She disappeared.

Slipping and sliding into a standing position, Rukia rubbed the back of her probably bruised head thinking sarcastically that she at least had plenty of ice to put on it if she needed to. She looked down at the half of the broken sword in her hand, and suddenly felt a deep frustration well in her heart. She threw it on the ground, feeling satisfied as it dematerialized, blending into the snow around it.

There was nothing she could do about Sode running off, and she knew that. All she could do was hope that Sode was as serious about this as she was and that she wasn't just wasting Rukia's time.

So, Rukia walked away, too, just to clear her head. She walked all the way to the edge of Sode's ice back to a normal looking area of the training grounds near the entrance. There sat Yoruichi at the ledge of the door.

"Were you waiting here the whole time?" Rukia asked absently.

"Naw," Yoruichi said with an easy smile, "I'm not the biggest fan of the cold so I took the time to check up on your friends." Rukia perked up in attention.

"Are they alright?" she asked cautiously. Yoruichi's smile dropped.

"I didn't find them," she said with a shrug. "I also didn't hear any rumors of captured Ryoka, though. They're probably fine."

"They just disappeared?" Rukia asked this more to herself than anything. Her guilt was coming back in full force.

"Moved on is more like it. It was smart of them, too," she assured. "I still wish they'd waited just a little longer."

Rukia nodded, feeling like she needed to sit down, but all she could manage was to lean against the sheer wall of the training grounds. This situation was far from ideal, but it certainly could have been worse.

Then, as her back touched the hard surface she felt herself wince. Now that she was away from the numbing cold, Rukia could feel every bruise and cut that Sode had inflicted. Yoruichi gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Do you know what makes these grounds better than the ones at the Shiba Shop?" Yoruichi asked with a sly grin. Rukia shrugged. It looked a little bigger. The sun didn't come down as hard. Yoruichi put a hand on Rukia's shoulder leading her away. "Come on, I'll show you."

What Yoruichi wanted to show Rukia was at the far side of the grounds, a walk made even longer by how Yoruichi insisted they hug the walls all the way there to avoid the snow. Still, once they reached the place, it was completely worth it.

"A hot spring?" Rukia gasped out. It was beautiful, too. The water was fresh and glistening, flowing into a large pool, steam wafting off the stop. "How did you get a hot spring in here?" she asked, turning to Yoruichi. "Why do you have a hot spring in here?" Her eyes averted immediately when she saw Yoruichi shrugging off her jacket and jumpsuit.

Well, that answered the "why" part.

"It was my idea, actually," Yoruichi said proudly. "I don't really know how it works, but I do know that nothing's better than spending a half hour in here after a long day of training." Rukia heard the telltale sound of shifting water and deemed it safe to look away from the rock she was staring intently at. "Climb in!" Yoruichi said with a beckoning hand.

For a second, Rukia though of refusing, if only because of her own shyness. Then again, the water looked so nice…

In less than a minute she was stripped down and dunking herself in the water with a feeling of satisfaction.

"That's the spirit," Yoruichi said serenely. She was sinking back against a rock, stretched out and relaxed. Rukia let out a pleasant sigh in agreement.

The water felt as good as it looked! Extremities numbed by ice were soothed and warmed. All her wounds and bruises disappeared from her mind. She found herself sinking deeper in, finally relaxing for probably the first time in weeks.

"How are things going with your Zanpakuto?" Yoruichi asked brightly. Rukia sunk deeper into the pool, and this time it wasn't out of bliss. "That bad, huh?"

"She barely even spoke to me. It's like she doesn't even _want_ our Bankai," Rukia said, tugging at a wet lock of hair. "This is Shikai training all over again."

"Hey, you got that one in seven days, didn't you?" Yoruichi assured. "You did something right."

Rukia's mind drifted back to those days. How had it worked, then?

She remembered fighting with Sode a lot, verbally and physically. She remembered failing to intimidate the Spirit. She remembered getting Sode to cooperate which was like pulling teeth at times! She also remembered Sode freely teaching her the Dances once she had gained her Zanpakuto's…respect? pity? She still wasn't sure.

"Sode always responded best when I was bold." Rukia said this with an uneasy sort of smile. "The whole reason she started cooperating in the first place was because I told her I owned her and that she had to. She laughed at me, of course, but I think she liked that I had the guts to talk to her like that." Her smile started fading as she added, "So, what changed? Why go backwards?"

Yoruichi let out puff of air saying, "You got me, kid. It sounds like you just need to talk to her about it."

Rukia had tried that. It didn't work. The woman leaned back further against the rocks, lounging before she continued.

"You're lucky, you know. You and your Zanpakuto get along pretty well. I wouldn't worry about it."

Rukia gave Yoruichi a long hard stare. Was she crazy, or had she just not listened to anything Rukia said?

"Don't give me that look," Yorcuihi snorted. Rukia kept giving her that look, and Yoruichi brought up her hands in defense. "Okay," she said, "things aren't perfect between you two, but most have it a lot worse! You should have seen Tatsuki when she was younger. Her and Yakeruni would get into shouting matches just about every time she tried to talk to him." Then with a scoff she added, "The fact that Ichigo seemed to get along so well with Zangetsu only made her madder, but Zangetsu frustrated him plenty, too."

Rukia looked down at her muddied reflection in the water. Okay, she wasn't the only one, but that still didn't help her. She still didn't know what she was missing, here. Yoruichi frowned, pensive.

"Listen," she eventually said. "A long time ago my teacher gave me some pretty sound wisdom about Zanpakuto. Your Zanpakuto is, at the end of the day, a reflection of yourself, which is why it's so goddamn hard to get along with them. They have all those parts of yourself you don't like or ignore and crank it up to eleven. You can't change them. You can't control them. You just have to deal with them. For a rare few, this comes easy, but for most people…"

Okay, that made some sense, Rukia thought. She understood that. She cringed at the thought of what traits Sode just might be reflecting, but she understood it. She just needed some time to consider it.

"What about you?" Rukia asked suddenly. Come to think of it, Rukia had never seen Yoruichi with a Zanpakuto. Was her situation similar to Kukaku's?

Yoruichi shifted, a pinched look on her face as she grew uncomfortable. She took a few long moments to answer.

"We didn't get along, at all," Yoruichi eventually said. "It took me years to even learn her name, and every time I tried to speak to her things managed to go wrong." A mirthless smile grew on her face. "I think she hated me.

"Eventually I became a Captain, and not wanting to be the odd one out, I tried for my Bankai. I used the same method you did… I failed. We stopped talking after that, and I didn't even bring her with me to the World of the Living. Too easy to track, I thought. Not useful enough."

She trailed off for a long while after that, staring into space.

"Was it cruel of me," she asked no one, "to do that?"

Rukia had no way of answering that, and Yoruichi knew it. The woman shook her head apologetically.

"Sorry, I'm depressing you, aren't I?" With a strained smile she rose up from the water. "I brought some food if you're hungry. It's down by the entrance. You should probably get some rest too, while you're at it. You can't tell in here, but it's gotten dark out." She left quietly at that, grabbing her clothes, wringing out her hair, and looking like she had nothing left to say on the matter. Rukia didn't ask any more questions, and instead stayed in the water a little longer.

Tomorrow she would ask her Zanpakuto about what happened, why she seemed so nervous about Bankai, but tonight she would rest. Though the water had muted it, Rukia could still feel her body ache with both new wounds and old. She thought, at the very least, that they might make some impressive scars, though she wasn't sure how she'd feel about the jagged scar that would undoubtedly come from the wound Kenpachi had left in the side of her chest. If anything, Sode might be impressed.

That brought Rukia back to what Yoruichi had told her. If Sode did turn out to be impressed, then wouldn't that mean, on some level, Rukia was impressed, too?

Rukia shook her head. Even entertaining that train of thought gave her a headache. Banishing it away, she settled back onto a particularly comfortable stone.

 _No more thinking._

Part II

Even after they left the confines of their safehouse, Uryuu had kept a close eye on Inoue. While weaving through the walkways of the First Division in stolen Shinigami uniforms (that did very little thanks to the ridiculously high standards of the First Division), fending off any would-be attackers or whistleblowers (and not doing anything lethal on Inoue's insistence) though still struggling to put together her true intentions, he got a pretty good idea of what she was capable of.

He witnessed her Zanpakuto and its near perfect forcefields used to both protect comrades and keep enemies from running away. In the very next breath, he'd see her heal the same enemy with that Zanpakuto from a potentially fatal wound before regrouping. The display was impressive, maybe even admirable, but it became quickly clear that Inoue's Zanpakuto was not the source of her power.

Uryuu knew very little about Kidō. He'd seen Shiba use it a few times, and with very mixed results, but not much else. Inoue made Shiba look like a rank amateur in the art.

Not much could impress Uryuu, but when he saw this Shinigami girl take out a man twice her size without even wounding him, he was impressed. (She later explained that it was a spell often used to knock out patients for surgeries.)

This mix of watching and fighting and running kept Uryuu and the rest of the group busy for hours, and when they hit a dry spell around late afternoon they were hardly complaining. (Ganju and Inoue did seem uneasy, however.) The Shinigami became far sparser, and if Uryuu had to guess he'd say it had to do with the chaos the Soul Society had been in the last few days.

All he had to go on were fragments of hushed conversations that were often heard moments before they were suddenly in another battle, but Uryuu was able to put together that along with the death of a Captain, in-fighting was becoming more common, they were arresting highly ranked officers, and the overall stability of the Soul Society had been put into question. That was good, he thought. Let them get tangled up in their own issues and keep them distracted from getting on the _Ryoka's_ backs.

It was while stuck in these thoughts that Uryuu spotted someone, a Shinigami that struck him as vaguely familiar (though many did look alike with those uniforms of theirs). The Shinigami was alone, and seemed distracted, so without giving it a second thought Uyruu drew his bow, aim steady, and fired.

"Blossom! Shun Shun Rikka!" His arrow hit a forcefield halfway between him and his target. It broke and disintegrated in the air.

Uryuu turned sharply to Inoue ready to tear into her for wanting to protect every Shinigami they came across whether this was out of softness or perhaps something much more sinister, and then he saw the look on her face.

She looked shocked, mouth slightly open and eyes wide as she took in the appearance of the person before her. Then her brows quirked in confusion. Finally, it all melted away, and a grin broke out on her face. She ran towards the Shinigami, arms open, and practically tackled him in a hug, though the man didn't even stumble.

"Chad!" she cheered. He gave her a gentle pat on the head, and, well, Uryuu felt like he had lost the plot a while ago.

He also felt just a little irritated, though he wasn't sure why.

"It's you!" Abarai said suddenly. "We beat you back in the Seventh!" He said this as if it were supposed to make them feel better somehow, like they had just run into a kid from another class. Uryuu kept his guard up.

The man nodded curtly.

"You came all the way from the Seventh?" Inoue asked, amazed.

"I was looking for you," the man finally said, but he wasn't addressing Inoue. He was staring right at Uryuu and Abarai.

Uryuu scowled. "Explain."

"Hey," Ganju said with a deep frown, "I'm all for story time, but maybe we shouldn't do this out in the open."

The nonchalance of which he said this struck a nerve with Uryuu. Was he really the only one here that cared about being cautious?

They ended up in an alleyway that Uryuu deemed "private enough". Inoue used a few Kidō meant to keep anyone who wasn't looking _too closely_ from seeing them. With that, Uryuu repeated himself.

"Explain."

Chad cleared his throat, visibly uncomfortable before starting. "After you defeated me, I heard you say you were going to save Ichigo. I decided I needed to find you, then. He's a good friend of mine, and I want to help."

It was roughly the same reasoning that Inoue had given when Abarai had asked her out of curiosity last night, but it was so short Uryuu was almost expecting more. A long pause went through the air after.

Ganju broke it saying, "Story checks out with me. It's good to see you, buddy."

Abarai sent the guy a grin and Inoue clutched a hand over her heart like Chad had just given a moving speech. Uryuu was scratching his head wondering why everyone was so eager to take his words at face value.

Anyone with enough determination could find them, and he'd file people they'd beaten with, at the very least, the motivation for such a thing. It was so obvious he wanted to laugh. Then again, this Shinigami did come a long way (while his organization was in a time of crisis) just to find them. He was instantly recognized by Inoue, and more importantly, Ganju who seemed to believe him trustworthy.

Uryuu frowned. At the very least, the archer would be able to shoot him in the back if he ever betrayed them.

He let out a sigh. "Let's just get moving again."

"Where are you headed?" asked Chad.

"The Repentance Cell," Inoue answered. "Our plan is to get to Ichigo before… We're going to meet with the other Ryoka there, if we can."

With a frown Chad shook his head. "Captain Shiba fought someone that tried to break Ichigo out this morning. They ran away, so guards have been posted, mostly from Division Two."

Inoue went pale, and Ganju hissed out a curse. This certainly made things harder.

"Shit, now what do we do?" Abarai asked grimly.

Uryuu wasn't sure and judging from the silence that answered Abarai's question neither was anyone else. Their semblance of a plan had been thrown out the window.

Then again, Uryuu was hardly letting all this work be for nothing. "We need to catch them when they're vulnerable," he said carefully.

Abarai made a noise of confusion before his eyes lit up. "Orihime, when would Ichigo have less guards on him?"

"Probably during transport," she said bringing a hand up to her face, "and his next one would be when they move him to Sōkyoku Hill in two days." Her eyes widened then. "That'd be the perfect time!"

"The Captain Commander is watching the execution," Chad said, giving her a nudge.

Orihime gulped, nodding. "We don't want to be even a second late. We have to intercept them before they get a chance to reach to top."

"Then as long as we time it right, we've got this in the bag?" Abarai asked with a grin. "That sounds like a plan to me."

Uryuu did see one glaring flaw, though.

"How do we know that Orikasa and Yoruichi will have a compatible plan?"

Chad blinked, seeming a little taken aback by the name "Yoruichi". He turned to Inoue with an eyebrow raised and she simply grinned and nodded at him.

"We don't," Ganju admitted, but we do know they'll be headed to the same place, and that Rukia probably needs some time to recover after her last fight. I'm sure we can figure something out when the time comes."

Uryuu doubted he was getting a better answer than that, for now, at least. He dropped the issue.

Everything was culminating towards one date, one time, one place, and there was little room for error. In two days, before noon, they'd be on Sōkyoku Hill, ready for whatever faced them. All things permitting, Orikasa would be there too. The only thing left was to keep on moving.

They kept running long after dark.

Part III

Rukia stood in front of a solid stone tower. Her eyes were steady on the locked door, her heart pounding in some painful cocktail of anticipation, fear, and even happiness. She had made it, she had finally made it.

Craning her neck up to the sky, she saw the tower extend up into the darkness of night. It went up and up and up until it faded into haze and stars, taller than she could even comprehend. It didn't really matter, though, how tall the tower was. All that mattered was getting inside.

She drew her Zanpakuto and cut the door cleanly in half, reducing it to nothing but rubble, and she stepped calmly over the pieces and into the tower. It was dark, almost completely devoid of the light the stars outside had provided. She found herself squinting against it, looking for anything.

"Ichigo?" she called out. She stuck a hand out in front of her and met nothing but air, taking a cautious half-step forward. "Ichigo?" she called a little louder.

Why wasn't he answering? He was supposed to be here, wasn't he? She took a larger step forward, only for her foot to catch against something. She slipped and fell forward landing hard on the structure in front of her, dull stone edges digging into her skin.

"What the…" she groaned. She patted around, feeling what she was on. They were stairs, that much was obvious; she wasn't sure where they went, except for up.

Dragging her hand up the wall, she felt around hoping to find a rail or something. Her fingers closed on a ridge, less of a rail and more decoration, but it was something. She dragged herself up with that, taking a cautious step forward and up. She began her ascent up the steep winding steps at a painfully slow pace.

She didn't trip again after that, despite how she could hardly see where she was going. She just walked up…and up…and up…

 _How high do these things even go?_

They stretched on forever, it seemed. How long had she even been going? Was it a few minutes? A few hours? She didn't remember anymore.

Then, suddenly, she saw a burst of light. She flinched against it at first, eyes straining against the soft and gentle glow, but soon enough she found herself drawn towards it. She ran up, to see an open window and through it, the moon. She laid a hand on the windowsill, leaning over, just to get a closer look

It was huge, hanging peerless in the night, so close that she could almost touch it. Staring at it, letting the cool light wash over her, she felt she could stay here for the rest of the night, just admiring it.

No, she didn't have time for that, she reminded herself. She tore her eyes from it, and with a resolute nod turned away fully. Well, she tried to, anyway.

"What the hell?" she muttered. She was trying to bring her hand from the window, but she just couldn't. It was was stuck to the smooth stone, it seemed. She turned back to it, tugging with her other hand, but it stayed glued, the skin pulling harshly. Biting the inside of her cheek, she gave it one strong _pull_ and stumbled back with the force, just barely managing not to fall down the steps.

She brought her hand into view, frowning deeply at it. Even in the limited light, it looked reddish. Some of the top layer of her skin had peeled away, and flexing her fingers, she realized they felt numb.

 _Almost like frostbite._

The thought tore through Rukia like a bullet. She took a large step back, almost pressing herself against the wall and could finally see it. Frost was on the windowsill, and it was spreading. She turned and with gasping breaths visible in the cold she ran up the steps.

In the corner of her eyes, she could see more. Ice was chasing after her, tendrils like fingers crawling up the walls and steps, reaching for her. She ran faster and faster, but it just wasn't letting up. It was so close she could feel its touch on her skin sinking in like claws –

Rukia's eyes snapped open to the view of an Ice Blade coming down at her from above. She didn't even have time to remember where she was and she was already rolling out of the way, reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. The Ice Blade sheared right through her cot sending stuffing flying and the case stiff with frost.

"What the hell?!" Rukia yelled from her crouch. She was staring up at Sode. (Who else would attack her in her sleep?)

"Sleeping during our training?" Sode said with a sneer. "Pathetic."

"You're the one that called it off yesterday!"

Her Zanpakuto didn't answer. She just started slashing at Rukia, pushing her around the room. Rukia scrambled back, panicked when suddenly her feet met with nothing but air.

A chocked curse made its way out of Rukia's mouth when she tumbled back, hitting the sandy training grounds, kicking up dust and dirt. She looked up at Sode, sword still in the Spirits hands. Rukia gulped, turned around, and ran towards the snow.

God, she didn't even have time to get her shoes on! She felt every inch of the cold through her Tabi socks, biting her lip to keep from gasping at the shock. It was probably that which made her trip for the second (no, it was the first time, and she really needed to wake up more) that day. She slipped on a patch of ice and fell face first into the snow.

Wasting no time, she brought herself up on her hands, pausing slightly when they met with something.

"Found one!" She grabbed the hilt of a barely concealed Ice Blade, got to her feet, and ran faster, deeper into the icy terrain, glancing back at Sode just to make it clear that this wasn't a retreat, it was a challenge.

With a self-satisfied smirk, Rukia had to admit she was getting pretty good at Hohō. It even had more uses than she first thought. Slipping was no longer a problem when she was running on her own Reiryoku.

All this was just for buying time, though, and she knew it. She needed answers from Sode, and to get those she needed a plan.

"Here's hoping this works," Rukia huffed out. She slid abruptly to a stop and faced her own trail, sticking her Ice Blade into the snow. "White Tree," she called out. Then, she waited.

She tried to control her breath, waiting for Sode to fall into the trap. Her Ice was completely invisible against the snow to anyone else. She, however, could see the trail with extreme clarity. She spread it outwards, looking for anything that moved to latch onto.

Sode no Shirayuki came into sight then, anger clear on her face as she ran toward Rukia, faster than she'd ever seen the woman. Her Geta touched the trap, and judging by the look on her face, Sode realized exactly what happened, and didn't like it. She halted, eyes on the ground, a scowl on her face.

"There," Rukia said, hand on her hip, "now you _have_ to listen to me." Sode crouched down, inspecting her Geta.

"Hardly," she answered, continuing to try and find a way out. Something about the way it was said, the sheer apathy behind it just made Rukia snap.

"That's exactly what–!" She cut herself off with a growl of frustration. "I just don't _get_ you! Sometimes you want to help. Sometimes you hate me. Sometimes it's both for some deranged reason! Would you at least tell me what the hell is going on in your head, so I know I'm not just wasting my time?!"

Sode still wouldn't meet Rukia's eyes after that. They just hardened as she continued to stare down at the ground. "So, is that it?" she asked. "If you don't get the answer you want to hear you're just going to throw me away like Shihōin did to her Zanpakuto?"

"I…no! Why would I?" Rukia stammered. "Why are you like this? It's like you want to make me mad or trip me up or… We're supposed to be in this together and you can't stop acting like you're above me somehow! This power's mine as much as it yours!"

Besides, Sode shouldn't think for a moment that Rukia didn't notice how she only started using Hohō after Rukia learned it.

Sode huffed out a sigh, fingers fiddling with her sandals. "Ah, yes, I remember. How did you put it again? I'm a part of your Soul so I 'belong to you?'"

Rukia sat on the ground with an eyeroll. "That was a bluff, and you know it."

Sode snorted, cracking a half-smile. Rukia felt like her breath was taken away. Was that the first time Sode had given her a genuine smile? Rukia couldn't help but crack a smile back.

"You still haven't answered my question," Rukia continued. "Do you actually want to help me?"

Sode's lips pursed as she seemed to carefully consider her answer. She opened her mouth, closed it, shifted her position into something more comfortable, and tried again.

"I'm not sure," she finally said. Rukia's heart sunk, not that the answer wasn't expected. Sode continued, "I don't hate you, though, and I honestly haven't for a while. It's why I've been trying to help. I'm just…uneasy about our Bankai."

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked quietly.

"I think you might know."

Rukia swallowed. She'd had her suspicions, but she wasn't sure until now. "It's the Hollow, isn't it?"

Sode grimaced.

"When your chain was severed," Sode said solemnly, "when you called upon me at the brink of darkness to pull you out, something else followed, clinging onto us like a parasite. I've kept it at bay so far, even controlling it as well as I can to help you survive, but it grows with us. I realized that recently."

"How powerful is it?" Rukia asked. She could feel her hands shaking. Was it really that bad? She feared the answer she would get.

"I don't know. It's strong, strong enough to give me trouble. I don't want to know how strong it may be with the power of a Bankai."

Rukia had been trying to place the expression on Sode's face, the feeling that her Zanpakuto had been giving off ever since she was summoned. Maybe she'd had so much trouble because it wasn't an emotion she was used to seeing on the Spirit, but now it was quite clear what it was. It was fear.

"What happens if you lose control?" Rukia asked hesitantly, moving closer, closer than she'd ever been.

The Spirit shook her head furiously. Either she didn't know or didn't want to think about it. Rukia laid a comforting hand on Sode's shoulder before she even knew what she was doing.

She wasn't sure what she needed to say, just that she needed to say something. Then, she remembered something. It felt like it happened so long ago, but now, the words were quite clear in her mind.

"When I first met you, before all…that, you told me you'd change if I decided to bring us back. I wasn't sure what you meant then, but I think I do now."

Sode brought a hand up to her temples. "I wasn't supposed to be like this. I don't know how, but I just know it. That thing did something to me, Rukia. I don't want to lose any more of myself."

Rukia's hand tightened on Sode's shoulder involuntarily. All this time and her Spirit was carrying that kind of burden…

Rukia cuffed Sode on the back of the head.

"Hey!" the Zanpakuto cried out, hand clutching her head. "What was that–?"

She cut herself off when Rukia dragged her into a hug. The Spirit felt cold to the touch, but somehow it wasn't unpleasant. It was like she had her own special brand of warmth.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rukia whispered. Sode stayed relaxed in her grip. "We can handle this…together, and if you think getting Bankai is a bad idea, we don't have to."

"Really?" Sode asked quietly, so quietly that Rukia almost didn't hear it. Rukia couldn't see her face, but she could imagine. "You'd do that for me?"

"Hey, we've made it this far, and that was just with our Shikai," Rukia said with a chuckle. She broke the hug, taking another look at Sode. Something in the Spirit's eyes looked hopeful.

Sode looked back at Rukia, searching, before clenching her fists and nodding.

"No," she said, "we're getting Bankai. I'm always getting on your case about being afraid. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't do this."

"A-are you sure?" Rukia asked.

"I'm sure."

"Okay…okay," Rukia said. She needed a moment just to let it sink in.

"If we're going to do that, though," Sode started with a frown, "we should be doing more than hugging each other and crying about it. We need to get back to training."

"I assume it'll actually have a point this time," Rukia said with a smirk.

"Of course," Sode said, even sounding offended. She reached for her Ice Blade, feet shifting, and Rukia had a second to realize that the Zanpakuto had broken away from the trap. "And you've left yourself wide open."

Rukia took a scrambling step back from her crouching position, reaching for the nearest Ice Blade. Some things never change, she supposed.

Part IV

Uryuu kept to the back of their little charge. He was the one with the longest range, after all, and it certainly helped that it had the added benefit of keeping an eye on their new companion. Uryuu had grown to begrudgingly trust Inoue, but he had yet to get there with "Sado".

Yasutoru Sado (a very Japanese name considering he didn't look Japanese in the slightest) or Chad had yet to do anything to earn their mistrust. That, of course, meant it was up to Uryuu to keep an eye on him until he actually managed to earn their _trust_.

Sado's Shikai was as Uryuu remembered it, a body-armor like gauntlet that went up to his shoulder in stark stripes of black and red. It seemed to give him amazing strength on top of his already impressive regular strength. He looked like he could bench press about two Uryuus, even though they were the same physical age.

He watched as Sado and Inoue interacted, casual, friendly, and clearly fond of each other. He could only guess at their history until one of them bothered to tell. He would have entertained a few of those guesses if someone hadn't suddenly nudged him in the ribs.

"Hey," Abarai whispered. He had a smirk that couldn't possibly mean anything good. "You jealous?" Uryuu froze for a moment, halting his steps. He turned to Abarai very calmly.

"What?!" The others turned to him, Ganju and Sado looking confused, with Inoue showing a tinge of worry. Uryuu waved them off, adjusting his glasses and continuing his walk. Quieter, Uryuu asked, "Is this the best time to be talking about this?"

"Do you really think they're paying attention?" Abarai said with an eyeroll. He motioned to Inoue and Sado who were at the very front of the group having an animated albeit one-sided conversation about the merits of black pepper as an ice-cream flavor.

"I suppose your right," Uryuu said bitterly.

With a renewed grin, Abarai said, "So, tell me. You like this Shinigami girl, don't you?"

The irony of getting interrogated by _Abarai_ about crushes was not lost on Uryuu. He would have scoffed if there wasn't a tiny, microscopic, infinitesimal chance that his classmate was onto something.

"As if I'm admitting anything to you," he said instead.

"Ha! Knew it."

 _Damn him._

"I sure am surprised, though. I didn't think she'd be your type," Abarai said casually.

"Since you're apparently an expert on the subject," Uryuu said sarcastically, "why don't you tell me, what my 'type' is."

Here, Abarai starts looking sheepish, refusing to look Uryuu in the eye. Oh, this was going to be good.

"Well, and don't take this the wrong way, but I kinda thought your type would be less Orihime and more…Chad."

Uryuu snorted. "You thought I was gay?" Abarai quirked an eyebrow.

"That's not the response I thought I was gonna get."

"What," Uryuu said with a scoff, "you thought I was going to throw my hands up and yell and cause a huge scene? I'm a guy that sews and designs clothes for fun. I know how that looks."

"When you say it like that I kinda feel guilty," Abarai said flatly.

"Don't," Uryuu said dryly. Then, he muttered, more to himself than anything, "Besides, you're only half wrong."

Abarai caught what he said, though, judging by the look on his face. "Wait, are you…?" Something akin to realization was in Abarai's eyes. Uryuu did not want to deal with this right now.

"Do you really want me to give you a rundown of my sexual preference, here, right in the middle of the Seireitei?" he snapped. "How did we even get on this topic? Oh, I remember! You suddenly wanted to gossip about crushes like a thirteen-year-old at a slumber party."

Uryuu hadn't realized his volume had gone up just a little too much until Ganju glanced back at them to give them both funny looks. He then shook his head and proceeded to look forward.

"Okay, topic for another day, I get it," Abarai continued. "I still want to know about Orihime."

With that, Uryuu knew he wasn't getting out of this any time soon. He only hoped that by tomorrow his brain would block out this entire conversation.

"I don't know," he said exasperatedly. "She's nice, she's pretty, she's competent, and I'm pretty sure I don't have a chance in hell. I mean, you're seeing the same thing I am, right?" He gestured to Inoue and Sado ahead of them who were _still talking._

"I mean, I'm pretty sure she's got a thing for Ichigo and not this guy, so…"

"You aren't helping," Uryuu said with a glare.

Abarai shook his head. "You're going about this all wrong. Just drop the paranoid Quincy shtick and actually goddamn talk to her!"

"Ugh, it's not…" Uryuu trailed off. There was no point in convincing anyone that he wasn't just "paranoid". He scoffed. "For once, you might have a point."

"Watch it," Abarai said warningly, "and good. Those two aren't that bad once you get to know them."

"Shush!" Ganju sounded. "I think we got company."

The two silence, activating their weapons. They were in an alleyway, just about to turn a corner. At the edge of that corner was Sado, peering around and darting back. He held up his hand.

 _5…1_

 _Six_

Sado's other hand was already reaching for his Zanpakuto, and clear as day, Uryuu could hear footsteps and uneasy mutterings of Shinigami that had probably sensed their presence already.

The head of the group of six turned the corner. His eyes widened, Zanpakuto already drawn, and before he could get a word out, he was knocked back by a Kidō blast right to the face. The chaos begun.

Uryuu kept to his position in the back, providing support in the tight quarters as Inoue and Chad helped them out of the bottle neck. He took down a Shinigami that Ganju was grappling with, distracted another just enough for Abarai to land a finishing blow, and kept his eyes open to strike anywhere he could.

There was a split second when he was distracted from this role when one Shinigami decided to go after him specifically, Shikai activated. Uryuu aimed quickly and fired, shaken but not surprised at the presence of the Shikai.

"Ishida, look out!" Abarai yelled.

He sensed the second Shinigami at his back before he saw him, Uryuu silently cursing himself for not noticing earlier. He spun around, bow in hand, thinking that he was probably not coming out of this unscathed.

He turned to find himself staring at Sado's back, his Shikai clad arm guarding against the Zanpakuto that would have sliced right into Uryuu if he'd been there a second later. He had the enemy down with a shove followed by a well-timed punch. With that, the last of them were dispatched.

Uryuu's bow dissolved in his hand as he stood there breathless. He heard Ganju say something about how they needed to keep moving. He heard himself say something in agreement. Just before Sado was about to pass him, Uryuu blurted out the only words that were on his mind.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Sado gave him a thumbs-up before moving on ahead. A pretty hokey response, really, certainly not the one Uryuu was expecting, but it was a response.

Yeah, maybe they weren't so bad after all.

* * *

 **Yoruichi's Zanpakuto was one of the many great unanswered mysteries of Bleach. I, of course, am here to give a personal theory that probably isn't true due to tweaks in lore it requires, but I like it.**

 **As for Sode, how she was "supposed to be" was her characterization in the Beast Swords arc in the Anime. She's kind, polite, and very friendly towards Rukia. The Hollow's influence changed things, but I won't get into that too much until we reach the Visored Arc.**

 **Also, no, "half jokes" aren't politically correct but as I bi person I still find them funny. I'd like to think that Renji acceptance is in part due to his mom being bisexual, but I'm not sure I'll ever get the chance to bring it up in story. (That's why I'm telling you here.) Do you disagree with me? Fight me in the comments. (They give me life.)**


	25. XXV: Interlude 5

**For this interlude we're going back to Karakura town to tell a story I had a LOT of fun with. Enjoy!**

* * *

Paku was quite literally at the edge of her seat, hands tightly gripping the armrests. She leaned forward in an attempt to get as close to the screen as possible almost as if it would help her see more, understand more.

 _"_ _Minako…you're the one I love!"_ the man on the screen declared. The actress opposite of him let out a demure gasp.

"I knew it," Paku whispered to herself, a slight smirk on her face.

 _"_ _Yusuke…"_

The Mod Soul settled back into her seat, watching as the music swelled, the two romantic leads embraced, and the credits rolled. She followed the sparse crowd out of the theater as the lights slowly brightened. A satisfied smile was on her face as she walked out of the doors with a bounce in her step.

This was probably the best movie she'd seen yet, though that wasn't saying much. _Love in Spring_ was only her third movie ever, and she'd hardly been disappointed by the first two.

Humans were odd, emotional, unpredictable, and generally unpleasant, but gods did they make some cool shit!

Of course, most of their stuff was made for someone who was more human-shaped. In that dumb stuffed bunny body of hers, Paku couldn't do much of anything, but with this new Gigai, the sky was the limit. She wanted to experience everything she possibly could, going everywhere and seeing it all (within Karakura town), and out of all the things she'd explored and experienced, the best human inventions _ever_ were their food.

Speaking of which…

"Which flavor will it be today?" the server asked. Paku didn't know the girl's name and didn't particularly care, but she sure loved the tasty frozen treats this particular human provided.

Paku considered for a moment, looking over every labeled option through the glass partition. Her eyes lingered over one flavor…chocolate. She'd been wondering about that one. She'd seen it just about everywhere but hadn't actually tasted it yet. A part of her thought it too strange. She already knew what regular green tea tasted like so trying it in ice cream form wasn't too scary. She knew what vanilla was beforehand and after some hesitation tried things like mint and cinnamon, but chocolate…

On second thought, she didn't know what the Strawberry flavored ice cream tasted like, did she?

She ordered her cone, single dip, no toppings, and sat herself down at a metal table just outside, made just shy of uncomfortably hot by the summer sun. Taking a deep breath, she took a moment to just drink in the atmosphere.

It wasn't until Paku had spent a good amount of time in this new body that she realized just how much she'd missed with her old one. Even using Rukia's wasn't quite as good, mostly because Paku only ever used it in emergency situations. As she was now, she had both the ability and the time to just enjoy the sights that could only be seen at a proper human height, smells that, you know, required a nose, and tastes like the treat that she was holding right now.

Oh yeah. The strawberry flavor was good, too.

Happily eating her ice cream cone, Paku dug her flip phone out of her pocket. She had a full day ahead of her and had to keep track of the time if she wanted to get to it all. An Ultimate Frisbee contest was happening today at the park, and all the competitors were _Third Year boys_. Humans were weird, but dear gods were some of them hot.

The phone was off, but that was remedied with the quick press of a button. She turned it back on, watched as the display came to life, and suddenly felt herself stiffen with fear.

 _38 missed calls_

"Oh, no," she muttered. Her fingers were trembling slightly as she speed-dialed the person that all those missed calls were from. She pressed the phone up to her ear and attempted to sound as casual as possible.

"Hi, Kukaku," shit, her voice squeaked, "w-what's up?"

A deep sigh sounded from the other end of line, long and painful. She could already imagine it: the slight slump of her boss' shoulders, the woman rubbing at the crease at her brow.

Kukaku asked simply, voice deceptively quiet, "Where have you been?"

Paku gulped. "Well, I was in the theater, and you know how they tell you to turn your phones off, right? So, I did, and–"

"PAKU!" the Mod Soul jerked the phone away from her ear the second the woman started yelling, face pale. She caught words like "the whole point" and "I ought to" and "what the hell", and for the most part Paku got the gist of it. This went on for a good minute or so, the end of the rant being marked by an eerie stretch of silence. Paku brought the phone back to her ear with great hestitation.

"I'm here now, aren't I?" Paku tried shyly. Kukaku let out an unimpressed snort but said nothing more. Paku knew that when she got back to the shop there would be more.

"Whatever, punk," Kukaku eventually said. "A Hollow was spotted at a park and I needed you there about half an hour ago. Find it, defeat it, and drag your ass right back here because we're going to have a little chat."

Paku started sweating a bit.

"On it, boss!" she answered, and before she even got out the last word Kukaku had hung up on her. Paku flinched.

With a deep frown, she clicked over to the phone's "GPS" application, and wouldn't you know it, a blinking red dot was right at the outer edges of a local park. After a moment of squinting Paku realized exactly _what_ park.

 _My frisbee boys!_

With a gasp Paku stood up, sparing a glance at the phone's time display and realizing that she still might be able to catch the second half of their game. (She also realized that there was no game if the players got eaten, so…yeah.)

Now, this town had a high tolerance for the strange. Weirdos like Don Kanonji were accepted as local celebrities. High School girls that could see ghosts were just taken at face value. Girls that could run as fast as a racehorse were barely glanced at.

So, Paku sprinted toward the park, shoving the last bite of her cone in her mouth as she sped ahead running (a bit recklessly) through streets, back alleys, and walkways. She dodged around random passersby in her way and took another glance at her phone.

Okay, this was taking too long. It'd be another minute before she reached the park and that was one minute she couldn't afford. She'd miss the entire game at this rate!

The minute went by. The park came closer and closer, and it only took a second for her to figure out where the Hollow was. Yeah, she was no Shinigami, couldn't sense Spiritual stuff to save her life, and the GPS wasn't terribly specific.

No, the Hollow was just making a _fuck ton_ of noise, guttural shrieks and hisses coming from just beyond the tree line. Paku let out a little sigh of relief. This was nowhere near the tournament.

Sliding to a stop at the edge of the trees for a moment, Paku waited, keeping her eyes open for any sort of movement.

 _"_ _SCREEE!"_

The unnatural voice rang through the air, trees trembling. She ran forward with a mumbled curse, straight into the thick of things to an area of the park that few strayed.

The Hollow kept on making noise, which made things pretty easy for Paku, even if it was annoying as hell. The Hollow also, as she quickly realized, left behind quite the trail of destruction, cracked and toppled trees leading right to the source of the noise. Oh great, it'd probably found some unlucky Spirit to chase.

She heard another screech then, higher pitched, and much less bone chilling. She didn't really want another ten minutes added to Kukaku's inevitable lecture about how she was supposed to protect Spirits and humans or whatever, so she ran a little faster.

The tree trunk that barreled towards her at high speed caught her completely off guard.

Paku veered out of the way, not having any time to see the source of the attack. She watched with wide eyes as it impacted the other trees behind her, sending the ground shaking. Whether in anger, frustration, or just plain pain, the Hollow let out another screech, and finally, Paku got a decent look at it.

The creature looked like a cross between a bat and a lizard and was several times bigger than her. It flew low to the ground on leathery wings, large talons digging furrows into whatever it got a hold of as it grasped another tree trunk with its skeletal tail, and oh god that trunk was coming right for her.

Paku pressed back into the tree next to her, facing away from the monster and holding her breath as the trunk careened past. Okay, at least this thing had terrible aim.

After a long moment passed Paku peaked around again, and apparently the creature wasn't too interested in her. Back turned, it was clawing through some nearby bushes, trying to catch whatever poor soul was hiding underneath. It didn't even realize the mistake it had just made.

She took a few steps back, pictured her path, and with a running start, jumped up to land a kick right in the back of its head. A few things happened after that.

The Spirit in the bushes shrieked and when she looked down, she realized it wasn't a Spirit at all. She was staring at a bland looking human teenager, running from the foliage. The Hollow dove for the boy, and she missed, foot burying itself into its wing instead.

The Hollow screeched again, as it landed on its three good limbs, limping forward to snap at her. It pivoted its masked face to growl at the human on the other side and curled into itself. It was confused and angry, like a cornered animal. Paku knew from experience that this was never a good thing.

"Come on Hollow," she muttered, "you don't want to eat me, do you? I'm just a Mod Soul. I'd probably taste bitter. You want a tasty human, right? So why don't you just turn around and…"

It lashed out, jaws snapping at her, and Paku jumped away to avoid it, back impacting a narrow tree behind her. She took one look at the tree and in a split-second decision, she wrapped an arm around the it. Using it as an axis, spun around it to land a hit right in the Hollow's jaw. The mask cracked, the Hollow staggering back, dazed, but it didn't break.

It flailed about, long limbs hitting the nearby trees, sending both Paku and the human ducking to cover. At this rate one or both of them were going to get killed. You'd think taking down just one stupid Hollow wouldn't be too hard. She almost wished she wasn't out here on her own.

"H-h-hey! You big dumb…uh…thing!" a trembling voice called out. Paku nearly froze in shock. What did that human think he was doing?

The Hollow shook its head, finally starting to calm down and orient itself. It turned towards its original meal, the source of the sound, starting with a stumble that developed into an uneven run.

Paku charged the second its back turned, jumping over its dangerous tail and going feet first right into the back of its head, sending its face into the ground. She heard a single solid crack. She didn't relax until the body beneath her started dissolving.

Now, she was standing on a bumpy, torn up ground, and with a sigh she pushed her sweaty bangs from her eyes. Pulling out her phone, she checked the time.

 _Fuck, the game was over._

Letting out a long sigh, Paku pocketed the phone. All that was left now was facing an even bigger monster, her boss. She turned, trying to figure out which way would lead her to the shop, decided that it didn't really matter and just picked a random direction. She got into a running stance.

"Hey, wait!"

Paku glanced over her shoulder. It was the human. Shouldn't he have run away by now? She thought of running away herself, just to avoid whatever _this_ was. Then, on a whim, she turned back to him, arms crossed, thinking, _He gets thirty seconds._

For a few of those seconds he stood there, hands on his knees, panting. He was sweating buckets, face red from exertion, and though it took a moment, Paku recognized him as being from Rukia's class. She didn't recognize much else.

"What was…" his eyes darted around the destruction. "How did…" he looked her up and down searching for something. He finally settled on, "Uh…thank you."

Paku raised her eyebrow, nodding slightly and not saying anything.

"Hey, ugh…what's your name?" he asked. "I don't think I've seen you around here before, and you don't look like a Spirit, so…"

The thirty seconds were up, and Paku wasn't going to wait another thirty just for him to stutter out a single sentence. She got back into her position and ran off, leaving nothing but a trail of dust.

"Uh, my name's Keigo!" he called after her. It didn't take a genius to realize she hadn't heard him. "Asano…" He was only speaking to the air.

When Paku got back to the shop she was met with exactly what she expected. Kukaku was leaning against the counter with that deep Shiba scowl on her face. With a sigh, Paku trudged up to the woman, eyes to the ground.

The lecture lasted for what felt like hours as Kukaku went into extensive detail about responsibility and privileges and…yeah, Paku stopped listening a while ago. The only thing she caught was the "final verdict".

"You report to me every hour or that new body of yours is going into storage until Rukia and the others get back. No more going to shops, no more 'hanging out', and definitely no more going to the movies."

"What?!" Paku yelled, slamming a hand on the counter. "No way, that's not fair!"

"Hey, if anything I'm going easy on you," Kukaku said pointing a finger at Paku. "You could have gotten someone killed, you know that, right?"

With a pout Paku thought back to that human, the one that was running from the Hollow, the one that thanked her.

"Why should I care about a couple of humans," she muttered quietly. Kukaku stared at Paku with a strange look in her eye. She shook her head.

"You know," the woman said, "for saying you love human things so much you sure do…" She let out a sigh, shaking her head again. "Consider yourself grounded, and don't think I won't know if you violate it."

Paku left the room in a huff after that, going deeper into the shop feeling so frustrated she wasn't even sure what to do with herself. She went to bed mad, she woke up mad, and when she stuck was patrolling at the edge of the park she was at yesterday, she was mad.

The day wasn't even half over, and she was already bored out of her mind. All she could do was walk along having nothing more interesting to look at then the city construction workers that were probably there to repair all the damage that was done to the park yesterday.

It didn't help that it was almost time to check in with Kukaku _again_. She wouldn't even have anything to say to the woman because nothing had even happened all day. The sky was clear, the weather was nice, and here she was like a dog on a leash!

With a growl she took another glance at the time on her phone before stuffing it back into her pocket with more force than strictly necessary. She had a couple of minutes left, at least. She walked ahead, slow as ever.

"Hey!" a voice called out to her.

She kept walking. Whatever construction worker was calling out to her, she was going to get out of the way soon.

"Hey!" it called again. "Uh…you!"

Fists clenched Paku turned to the source of the voice, glaring harshly at the human. What she saw was the boy from yesterday, shrinking away from her harsh look. His mouth shut immediately, but he didn't run away. Eyes wide, he thrust a small box towards her, silent.

Paku almost took a step back, looking at him bowing slightly in front of her, at the box in his hands, and then back at him. With great hesitation, she grabbed the box out of his hands, took a step back, and brought it close to her, studying it, trying to figure out what this guy was pulling here.

She shook it, brought it up to her ear, took note of the pink packaging with brown polka dots, and found nothing suspicious, per say. He stood there awkwardly. She looked up at him with a hard stare.

He shifted for a moment, bringing a hand up to his neck, before finally saying, "I…just wanted to thank you, for yesterday, I mean. I'm not really sure what you get someone that saves your life, but…I dunno it seemed like a good idea at the time, right, and I just…"

He was still going on, but Paku wasn't paying much attention. She just stared down at the box, a little more intrigued and a little less hostile. She pried open the packaging, setting aside the gold sticker holding it shut. Inside the box were two neat rows of brown candies.

"These are…chocolates, right?" she asked. The boy paused in whatever he was saying to look at her, surprised that she had spoken. It took him a moment, but he answered her.

"Well, yeah," he said sheepishly. "Girls like chocolate, right?"

Paku shrugged, eyes still on the box. "I've never had it."

"…Really?" he asked. "That wouldn't have anything to do with… Before you'd said something like you…" he glanced over his shoulder, trying to see if anyone was listening, "weren't human. Are you really? Not human, I mean."

He almost seemed to be joking, but his face lost all humor when Paku nodded just as she started inspecting the first chocolate. It seemed good looking enough. She brought it up to her mouth and took a tiny bite.

Her eyes widened a bit and she popped the rest of the treat in her mouth. It was so delicious…

"It's good," she said simply, looking up at the boy. He turned an interesting shade of pink before glancing away.

"I'm, uh, glad you like them." He stuck his hands in his pockets, kicking his feet as he seemed unsure of what to even do with himself. Paku would give him two minutes this time, just because he brought the chocolates. "My name's Keigo Asano," he said finally.

"Paku," she said.

As she reached for another chocolate, Paku took the time to take second look at the boy. He was about as average looking as you can get, though he did come off as a bit goofy. He seemed to alternate between stuttering and talking _way_ too much. None of these were good qualities in Paku's mind.

She'd tolerate him though, at least for another minute.

Walking away from the construction site, Paku kept a slow pace. She didn't protest with Keigo started following her.

"I was actually wondering," he said, starting to seem a bit more comfortable, "what was that thing from yesterday? I couldn't see it very well, but something was definitely there."

"That was a Hollow," she said. Hey, it wasn't like she was obligated to keep it a secret. Then, a little harsher she asked, "How are you seeing them, anyway?"

"I don't know, I just could!" he said, putting his hands up in defense. "I'm not like Rukia or anything I can't…" then he paused, catching himself. "Rukia's this girl from my class, she can–"

"I know Rukia."

"You do?" he asked surprise on his face. "Do you, like fight those things for her? Do you save her, too?"

Paku wasn't going to lie, that did send a little swell of pride through her chest. With a smirk she said, "As a matter of fact I do. Rukia wouldn't be able to handle all those Hollows without me."

"Woah!" Keigo gasped with a grin. "Do you mean she fights them, too?"

Deflating a bit, Paku said, "Well, maybe a little."

He looked like he was going to say something else, but Paku's phone chose that time to buzz in her pocket. With a deep frown she pulled it out and answered.

"Yes, Kukaku," she grumbled out.

 _"_ _Everything going all right, so far?"_

"Yeah," Paku said with a sigh. "It's just a boring, normal day."

Kukaku let out a chuckle. _"Come back to me when you have a busy day. Then we'll see if you'll complain when things are boring."_

"Whatever you old hag. I'm still on patrol, so everything's good."

 _"_ _Hey! Call me an 'old hag' again and things won't be so good, got it!"_

Paku hung up after that. She checked in. She was good for the next hour. She wasn't up for pleasantries, today.

"Woah, was that your boss? Are you a part of a secret organization that fights Hollows or something?" Keigo asked. Paku almost jumped. She had forgotten he was there for a moment.

"What?" Paku asked incredulously. What was he even going on about? "No, I mean, she's my boss, but there's no secret organization."

Well, unless you counted the Soul Society, but she wasn't "affiliated" with them.

"Close enough," he said with an easy smile. "What are you, anyway?" he asked. "Wait, is that a rude thing to ask?"

"I don't know," Paku answered the second question with a shrug with a shrug. She hummed for a moment. "Guess."

Keigo stopped, considering, a hand brought up to his chin. Then, as if he had made a great discovery he exclaimed, "Alien!"

"Pfft, no."

"Esper?"

"…What's an Esper?"

"Time Traveler!"

"You watch way too much TV."

"Oh, come on!" Keigo whined. "Just tell me!"

"You've only guessed three times," Paku pointed out.

"I've _already_ guessed three times," he corrected. Paku snorted at that. "Hey, what's so funny?" he asked with a pout.

Okay, this human was pretty entertaining. She realized that his time had been up for a while, but she didn't really care.

"I'm a Mod Soul," she said with a half-smile. "That's an artificial Soul."

"An artificial Soul…" he said, considering. Then, he shook his head fiercely. "How would I have guessed that?! Wait a minute, does that mean that your body…" He looked at her, horrified. Paku had seen exactly one horror movie but she already knew what he was getting at.

"I didn't steal the body, stupid! It's artificial, too!" She punctuated this by punching his arm.

"That's a relief…"

The questions kept coming after that, Keigo probably being the most curious person that Paku had ever met. For some reason, she didn't mind answering them, though. She wondered if that had anything to do with how she almost…kinda…sorta got him killed, even though he thinks she saved his life. She wasn't sure, but she still answered with whatever knowledge she had, the only caveat being that he couldn't go blabbing about this to Rukia, Ichigo, or any of his other classmates. She may not have been sworn to secrecy, but even she knew, on some level, that she wasn't supposed to be saying all this.

The explanations gave Paku a pretty good opportunity to add her own commentary here and there, and by the end Keigo knew about everything from Shinigami to the Soul Society mission that she's still pissed about not being invited to. She even got to bitch about her "grounding".

They talked for a long while, enough that Paku checked in a few times before eventually Keigo had to go.

"A guy like me, I've got things to do, places to be," he explained. He tried to sound suave, but a tinge of familiar nervousness was in his voice. She could tell that he had his own "Kukaku" to get back to somewhere. "You understand, right?"

"Oh, yes," Paku said with a nod, humoring him.

"Where can I find you tomorrow?" he asked. "I don't have a phone, so…"

Paku raised an eyebrow, a little confused. "I answered all of your questions, didn't I? Do you really have more?"

"Not really," he said sheepishly. "I…just like talking to you."

Paku took a moment to seriously consider. She knew that she could tell him to just buzz off. She didn't _have_ to see him again. She answered his questions, accepted his gift. They were even.

The thing was, talking with him turned a boring day into something a little less boring. She might even say she…liked talking to him, too.

"Outside the park, same place same time," she eventually said. Then, as an afterthought she added, "Bring more sweets."

Keigo pumped his fist in the air yelling, "Yes! I'll see you then, Paku!" He ran off, sending a wave over his shoulder.

She waved back, butterflies in her stomach. It wasn't a bad feeling.

When Paku came back to the Shiba Shop that night having just gone through an otherwise uneventful day, she was quieter than usual.

"You checked in every single time," Kukaku said seeming impressed. Paku scrunched up her nose at her boss. Did Kukaku think she wouldn't? "Dinner's in fifteen. Go wash up."

Paku moved past the woman heading to her room. Just before she crossed the threshold she was stopped by a question.

"Did something happen?"

Not much happened in retrospect, but still, Paku answered, "I met someone. He was nice."

"That's good," Kukaku commented. "I don't think you've made a friend before."

She hadn't had she?

Paku went to the park the first thing in the morning. She knew it didn't make much sense, that she would be waiting there for a while, probably, and that after all that there was a chance that the human wouldn't show up at all.

Still, she sat there on the bench, twiddling her thumbs as she kept waiting to see when Keigo would show because when thought of patrolling elsewhere until the right time came, she felt all kinds of uneasy, like if she didn't show up as early as possible, she would be doing something wrong.

"Miss?" She looked up to see a worker standing there with his hands on his hips. "You're going to have to move soon. We need to close this place off for safety reasons.

Paku stood up, wanting to protest, but just not sure how to do it. Didn't he know how important it was that she wait here? She wanted to give him a piece of her mind, and just as she was figuring out how it turned out she didn't have to at all.

"Paku!" a familiar voice called. Keigo jogged towards her from the other side of the street, barely sparing the construction worker a glance. "I didn't think you'd be here this early," he said with a nervous laugh. "You weren't waiting long, were you?"

She looked at the retreating construction worker, and back at her…friend. "Not really," she said.

"That's a relief," he said with a sigh. "Ah! I almost forgot!" He slipped a hand into a plastic bag he was carrying, pulling out another colorful package for Paku. "These are Mochi," he explained with a grin. "They're kinda the best, so I just knew you had to try them."

Paku tore open the packaging, inspecting one of the treats, and finding it oddly squishy, kind of like jelly. She notes that they were covered some kind of powder. She popped a green one into her mouth and nodded appreciatively. The texture was different, but nice, and they weren't overly sweet. Paku walked forward as she continued to sample them, pretty much expecting Keigo to follow.

"What are these made of, anyway?" she asked with glance.

"Uh…" Keigo's face twisted as he wracked his brain for a bit, "bean paste, flour, I think, sugar… I guess I'm not one hundred percent sure, but hey, I know this old lady in my apartment building that makes them for her grandkids. We could ask her!"

Paku paused. Cooking human foods herself, she hadn't thought of that! This grounding might not be so bad after all. With that thought she popped another mochi into her mouth.

"You sure like sweets, don't you?" Keigo said with a laugh. He blanched soon after. "Wait, that's a rude thing to say, right?"

"Yeah to the first one. To the second one…I don't know," she said honestly. "Trying human things is a hobby of mine. It's why this grounding sucks so much ass."

"I don't think I've ever heard someone call 'human things' a hobby," Keigo said. "Then again, I've never met someone who wasn't human before."

"You've met Ichigo," Paku pointed out.

Keigo stepped back for a moment, like he hadn't considered that before. "Oh yeah," he said with a furrowed brow. "I remember that weird thing he had with canned coffee. That makes a lot more sense, now."

Paku grimaced. She _hated_ coffee, especially the canned kind. It was just so bitter and weird.

"Well," Keigo said, puffing out his chest. "It seems you have a problem, and I've got the answer. You want to keep going with your human hobby, and here I am, a certified human with all kinds of humanly knowledge!"

"Really?" Paku asked, scrutinizing him. "So, you'll tell me anything I want to know? Anything at all?"

"Of course!" he exclaimed. Then, face falling slightly he added, "I mean I may not be able to answer everything, but my sister has a computer at home so we could probably find out later."

Paku almost cheered. Her grin was plain on her face.

"Sweet! First question, then," she said. She knew she had to make it good! "Because you mentioned it, what's a computer? I've seen them, but I'm still not quite sure."

Keigo smiled haughtily. "Ha! That's an easy one. See, it's this thing that…" he trailed off, smile falling into confusion. "Well, it's a machine that you can, um…" He was starting to really struggle, and Paku's face fell, too. Was he okay? He did have one in his house, didn't he? "Gimme a second."

Eventually he did answer her, though it turned out he didn't have an answer for everything. He was able to quickly tell her about what types games were the best, how those movies got made, and what anime is, but he didn't really know how they got hard candies to taste like melons except for that they made them in a lab somewhere.

During this whole exchange Paku took _another_ look at Keigo and thought that she was a bit hasty in her initial judgements. He was still plain looking, but that was easy to forget when you saw him talk and move.

He exaggerated, gesticulated, seemed to literally never run out of energy, and there was something charming about that. It was something that made you forget he was even plain looking because no one could be boring when they were making five different facial expressions a second and spoke exclusively in hyperbole.

"Humans have crappy bosses, too?" Paku asked, a little amazed. "I'm glad I'm not alone there," Paku said with a scoff, eyes set on the water fountain in front of them. It was just so mesmerizing. Keigo sure knew some interesting places.

"Pfft, yeah! You should have met my boss from last summer. He was a total slave driver. He was all 'Keigo, get back to work!' 'Keigo, you can't nap during work hours!' 'Keigo, you're fired!'"

"Ha! Tell me about it!"

"That's exactly why I'm taking it easy this summer."

"I wish I could do that," Paku sighed out.

 _Bzzzzzzt!_

 _Bzzzzzzzzzzt!_

The sound was coming from Paku's back pocket. For a moment she was confused. Had another hour passed already?

"Is that your boss again?" Keigo asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"I'm not sure," she said, checking the display. It wasn't a call. It looked like an alert. Flipping it open, she checked the GPS app.

"Hollow," she bit out. Keigo paled.

"A H-Hollow?" he asked, leaning over her shoulder to get a look for himself. "Like, right now?"

"Yeah, right now," she said. She was squinting at the display, trying to make sense of it. Just as she started to figure it out, a loud crash sounded. Her eyes darted up to the noise only to see a large creature tearing through a popsicle stand, the owner running away as fast as his short legs could take him, yelling obscenities.

Paku thrusted her phone towards Keigo who took it with fumbling fingers. She stood up from her seat, bouncing on her feet lightly and wondering what the hell she was going to do next.

"Uh…what do I do?!" Keigo asked frantically. She hadn't really gotten that far, yet.

"Don't get hit," she offered. At this, she ran forward at high speed, a little angry at the Hollow for spoiling the nice time she was just having. She aimed right for the head of this lion-like Hollow. It reared up, and dodged left, about as fast as, well, her.

"Shit!" the yelled, as she skidded on the pavement. She ran after it for another hit only for it to dart around her, stopping right in front of Keigo who was still seated and who looked completely petrified.

 _"_ _What an interesting ssssmell you have, human,"_ it said in a raspy voice, its tail swinging behind it.

"Not again!" he cried out. Phone clutched tightly in his hand he shifted, legs trembling. Then, he bolted left, Hollow pouncing after him.

"Paws off!" Paku yelled. She chased after, kicking it right in the side before it managed to land. It darted back, glancing between the two of them, though it didn't really look like a cornered animal. It looked like it was thinking. Oh, how she hated the ones that could think.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Keigo, no longer frozen and in fact waving his hands wildly gesturing to the fountain, and Paku couldn't figure out why. She definitely couldn't figure out why he started running towards the fountain, vaulting over the edge of the pool and crossing it as quickly as he could.

The Hollow saw this too and followed. Paku wondered if this human had some kind of death wish because he had to have realized that even most of the way across the pool as he was, the Hollow would be on him in a second. She chased after the creature, hoping that she would make it in time only to be forced to a stopped when a powerful jet of water went up, nearly hitting her, and definitely nailing the Hollow, right in the underbelly, soaking it from head to toe.

It stumbled back, growling and shaking, cursing their names to high heavens, and during this moment of distraction Paku nailed it in the face with a roundhouse kick. It disintegrated in seconds.

"Hell yeah!" Keigo cried, nearly collapsed against the lip of the fountain. His pants and most of his shirt were soaking wet, but he looked so happy Paku found herself smiling, too.

She walked toward him, wading through the water. "What was that?" she asked tiredly.

He shrugged. "It was a cat, right? Cats hate water." He laughed. She felt like laughing, too.

"You're a real idiot, you know that," Paku said, offering him a hand up.

After hoisting himself up, Keigo shook out his hair like a dog, sending water right onto Paku's face. She wiped it off with a hand, flicking it at him, not that it made much of a difference.

"I know," he said, "but apparently I make pretty good bait."

Paku was going to say something in response, maybe something snarky, maybe something a little bit flirty, but before she could Keigo paled. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a flip phone, soaking wet.

"Uhhh…this can be fixed, right?" he said, holding it out to Paku. She accepted it carefully, a grimace on her face.

"Probably," she tried. "These things can take a beating, can't they?" She flipped it open, took note of the glitching screen, and shut it closed. "It's fine. I can replace it."

She should probably replace it soon, assuming she didn't want Kukaku to get mad at her. Looking at Keigo, she suddenly got an idea. She couldn't bring him inside the shop without getting in trouble, but…

"Keigo," she said. "Do you want to see a convenience store owned by a Shinigami, have lunch together, and then help me fight more Hollows?"

"Paku," he said, "and I have never meant anything more in my entire life, _yes_."

* * *

 **I ship it.**

 **Seriously though, I probably won't make a habit of posting chapters with these two. For any of you who maybe didn't care for this one they'll stay firmly in the background from here on out. For any of you who do like them, they won't disappear entirely.**

 **A quick progress report on the arc. Five chapters are left and some of them are absolute monsters. Word count wise we're a little over half of the way through. I'll talk about things like how long the Hiatus might be between this arc and the next (because the Visored Arc is nowhere near ready yet) later, but my hope is that it won't take too long.**


	26. XXVI

**New week new chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Part I

 _Where was she?_

Crouched on the top of a building, right at the outskirts of the First Division, Tatsuki found herself stumped by this question, in a situation that was as unusual as it was unnerving.

Tatsuki was one of the greatest trackers in the entire Seireitei, able to sense a Hollow from a kilometer away and tell you its classification. Finding one little Ryoka again really should have been easy for her. She'd had no trouble finding the girl before this point, but now…it was like Orikasa had just disappeared.

The fact that her "disappearing" was a possibility was no comfort to Tatsuki. She knew about the Ryoka's fight with Captain Shiba, knew that there was a slim chance that encounter ended with Orikasa dying not long after being carried away by someone that Captain Ukitake identified as former Captain Yoruichi of all people.

Nothing about that explanation sat right with Tatsuki, though, even if it was the chief rumor she'd heard thrown around on her way here. The people that were saying that didn't know Orikasa. They didn't realize that she was just too stubborn for something like that to happen. No, Tatsuki was confident that something very different had taken place, and there was plenty there to support her conclusion.

With that, an idea rang through Tatsuki's head. It was so obvious, she almost wanted to kick herself.

Climbing down from her perch, Tatsuki kept a brisk pace through the First Division going no faster than she would if she were called for a meeting with the Captain Commander. She didn't want to attract any suspicion after all, even if that little voice in the back of her head was telling her to hurry, that she finally had a vague idea where Orikasa might be so she should go faster dammit!

Orikasa was picked up by Yoruichi, a Captain famous for inventive fighting techniques, speed, and most importantly the cloaking and tracking methods that made the Onmitsukidō what it was today. If anyone would be able to throw Tatsuki off, it would be her.

So, now that Tatsuki knew searching for traces of Orikasa was utterly pointless, she was able to get her priorities straight. It wasn't about what was there but what _wasn't_ , and there was a whole lot of nothing that Tatsuki could sense right in the area.

It was a place that she wouldn't think to check in any other circumstance, one that criminals tended to stay away from for good reason. Once upon a time, there were rumors about that place, though, talk of a secret base frequented by who else but Yoruichi. However, it was never something that Tatsuki believed, and if she had, she would have picked a much more sensible location, like the forest of the Second Division, or somewhere in the Twelfth Division Labs, not Sōkyoku Hill.

Still, it was still the only lead she had, and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to at least check the place. When she reached the edge of the hill, facing the path, she started running.

Tatsuki kept her steps light as she scaled the hill, searching for any subtle changes on the typically empty landscape. This was no easy task. She'd find herself darting off for false alarm after false alarm. One time it turned out to be a nest of lizards. Another time it was a particularly old tree. By the time she had "discovered" her third bird nest Tatsuki was getting annoyed.

She was a good deal up the hill now and was starting to wonder if this search wasn't flawed from the very beginning. Maybe she just needed to go back to the drawing board and consider ways to snoop around the Twelfth Division without looking suspicious.

Before she could truly consider turning back, her eye caught something, an odd ledge on the side of the cliff. It wouldn't have been visible from anywhere else, being too well protected by surrounding trees, but she had a pretty good view of it from right below. She craned her neck trying to get a slightly better look. There were no paths that led to or from it. It was wide enough to walk around on, stable enough to support weight, and with some strain she was able to spy the edges of a door frame.

Tatsuki moved forward, ready to land on the ledge and see if she really was looking at what she thought she was, but something happened that she couldn't quite make sense of. There was a pain in her leg. She was suddenly kneeling on the ground, a hand buried in her hair, jerking her head back painfully. Another hand was on her throat, cracking with the energy of a Kidō spell. Above her Yoruichi was smiling dangerously.

"That's as far as you're going today, honey," the former Captain said softly.

"I was right," Tatsuki hissed out, pride swelling within her chest alongside fear. "You were here."

The light at her throat grew brighter. The grip on her hair tightened. "Mind telling me what you were going to do with that information?" It was a lightening spell of some kind as far as Tatsuki could tell. It was one that would probably leave her near death if that hand got just a little closer. Tatsuki was getting tired of being grievously injured lately.

"It's not what you think," the Lieutenant pleaded. "I'm just here to help, honest!"

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed further. Her almost playful smile dropped. She wasn't buying it. Tatsuki could see it in the woman's eyes.

"Would…would I really come here alone if I was going to fight?" Tatsuki tried, squirming against the grip, futilely trying to put distance between her and the attack. "I knew you were here, Yoruichi. I knew I would have just gotten killed."

"Is that flattery Miss Arisawa?"

Tatsuki stiffly shook her head. "A fact."

A long moment of silence stretched on after that, Tatsuki squirming under the former Captain's gaze. It was an odd experience being threatened by one of your childhood idols, but these last few weeks were lousy with odd occurrences.

Yoruichi eventually broke the silence, simply asking, "Why change your mind?"

This answer came easy to Tatsuki. She hadn't stopped thinking about it since she woke up in the Fourth Division.

"I realized a few things," she started. "I was just letting some stranger do all the work rescuing my friend." She hadn't been acting like much of a friend at all. "I just want to see him again."

She also realized that if she did nothing, she'd never get the chance to say sorry about that, to patch things up like she'd always thought about doing for the last few years but never had the guts to. She didn't want to live with that kind of regret.

Tatsuki wasn't looking at Yoruichi when she said that. In fact, her eyes were screwed shut. Every muscle in her body was tensed as she waited for the lightning to strike, for her to get dragged away and dropped back in the Fourth if she was lucky, for her to die if she wasn't. That would be the worst death imaginable, wouldn't it? To be killed by your hero because you personally gained their mistrust and ire.

The hand retreated. The light faded. Tatsuki opened her eyes.

"Come on. Rukia will want to hear what you just told me," Yoruichi said. Her hand was extended to Tatsuki, and meanwhile Tatsuki was just staring up at her, mouth agape in shock. It took her a moment, but she grabbed that hand, levering herself up with it as dread and defeat turned into something else entirely.

Yoruichi wasted no time in jumping up to the ledge, urging Tatsuki to follow with a muttered, "This way." Tatsuki followed quickly, finally getting a look at the rest of the wooden door she had gotten a mere peak of before.

She was led in, first to a cramped dark room that had her a little confused. Then, Yoruichi kicked aside the bookshelf and Tatsuki's mouth was agape yet again. She stood under a desert sun, amazed.

"I'm really here," she gasped out. "I bet that Ryoka doesn't even know how big of a deal this is."

"Don't worry," Yoruichi assured with a laugh. "She was properly awed."

Good, or Tatsuki may have to change her plans again and beat Orikasa up until she realized how many people would have killed to be in her place. Tatsuki almost found herself beyond words it was all so cool! Speaking of cool…

A blast of ice beamed out from the side of a frozen hill. Sounds of a fight were echoing through the chamber. Waves of power were flowing through so intense that Tatsuki had a hard time believing any barrier could contain it. (Then again, this was a Yoruichi barrier she was talking about.) Had humans somehow gotten tougher since Tatsuki had last checked?

Orikasa tumbled from the other side of the hill, rolling out of the path of a strange looking sword, and holy shit was she fighting her Zanpakuto Spirit?

"Sode no Shirayuki!" Yoruichi called out. The Spirit halted, turning her head slightly. White hair fell over her shoulders in waves. Her pale skin shone brightly in the sun. She was so beautiful Tatsuki found herself looking away before the Spirit's eyes could settle on her. "Take five," Yoruchi continued, "Rukia has a visitor."

"Tell her to wait. Rukia stops when I say so, no sooner." The Spirit said this, voice as cold as the ice surrounding her.

"Tatsuki?" Orikasa gasped out from the ground. Her eyes were wide, and her Spirit looked at her, disgruntled. The Spirit looked back at Tatsuki, glaring.

"Five minutes," Sode no Shirayuki said, and with little fanfare she walked back towards the hill, disappearing from sight.

Tatsuki had never met someone else's Zanpakuto before, but something about seeing that level of moodiness from the other side was as bizarre as it was satisfying.

With a grimace Orikasa stood up, dusting the frost off her uniform. She looked at Tatsuki, unsure and just a bit wary.

"When she says five minutes, she means five minutes," Orikasa eventually said. "So…" She looked at the Shinigami expectantly.

Tatsuki had openers that have been on her mind for the better part of a day. She had more questions than she could count, at least half of them being a result of what she had just seen. She said none of those, knowing how startlingly literal Zanpakuto could be. Besides, she was sure that those would just be her wasting time.

"I've decided to join you," she said instead. "I want to help you rescue Ichigo, and I know I haven't done much to earn your trust, but…"

Tatsuki's fists clenched on their own accord. She felt so nervous, standing here and basically begging for forgiveness. She realized she needed to try, but somewhere in her heart she resented that. She knew her own feelings. She knew what she needed to do.

She continued, "but I need to save my friend. I don't need you to trust me. I just wanted to tell you."

The Lieutenant (possibly a former Lieutenant if she's being honest) didn't expect anything. She'd tried to kill the girl in front of her not once but twice. She wasn't looking to be greeted with open arms, here. That just wouldn't be realistic.

Orikasa scoffed, "You're not the first person who's tried to kill me that's had a change of heart." Then, she paused, blinked for a moment and added, "Actually, you're not even the first person this week. Yoruichi has this whole master plan going; though, so, you should check in with her if you want to do something."

Maybe Tatsuki just needed to throw realism out of the window, today. That seemed like a good plan. The explanation was a weird one, but it lifted a weight off Tatsuki that she didn't even know she had. She looked to Yoruichi in anticipation.

"Guess that leaves me no choice," Yoruichi said with a sigh. "I could bring you to the others, once I find them, anyway. They could probably use some help."

"Um…" Tatsuki interjected. It was just one syllable, but it felt so wrong, talking back to _Yoruichi_ like this. "I was actually wondering what type of training Orikasa was doing, here. I was thinking I could help her."

"Let me guess. You want to try this training, too," Yoruichi said with a knowing smirk.

 _Well…yeah._

Yoruichi tapped her chin, thinking. "Perhaps. How close are you to Bankai?"

"Close," she said. Yakeruni had been talking a lot about them reaching it lately, and she knew she had reached her Shikai's upper limits some time ago. It took a moment for the implications of Yoruichi's question to sink it. "Wait, is Orikasa trying to get Bankai?!"

"That's the idea," Orikasa answered with a tired grin.

 _"_ _Your five minutes are up!"_

Orikasa was suddenly flying forward, impacting the ground hard as Yoruichi casually took a step away from the violence. Recovering quickly from the hit the Ryoka materialized an Ice Blade out of thin air, turning to her Zanpakuto with a growl.

"Oh, that's it," Orikasa said, bringing herself up into a fighting stance. She moved as if to run towards to her Zanpakuto who was standing there, brandishing her own blade, right before pausing and turning to Tatsuki, a smile on her face.

"For what it's worth," she said, "I'm glad you're here." She ran forward, driving her Zanpakuto deeper into the landscape. Tatsuki could do nothing more than stare forward as something warm filled her heart.

"They've been at this for the last two days," Yoruichi said from the side, "and I gotta say It's pretty amazing seeing them go at it."

"What even is this?" Tatsuki asked quietly.

With an easy grin Yoruichi answered, "Think of it like a Bankai crash course, one run by your Zanpakuto. As you could imagine, it's not easy."

"I can do it," Tatsuki said immediately, gazing at the Zanpakuto on her hip. "I'm sure I could, by tomorrow, even."

"If you're that confident I'm sure we could accommodate you." Yoruichi's grin was as wide as the Cheshire Cat's.

It didn't take long for Yourichi to prepare what Tatsuki would need for this. Mere minutes later Tatsuki was being led to the other side of the training grounds, Yoruichi darting away the moment she explained what Tatsuki would need to do with the odd-looking training dummy placed before her.

She stabbed it with her sealed blade, and in a burst of heat, Yakeruni was towering above her.

When he didn't look like an oversized Komodo Dragon, Yakeruni took on the form that Tatsuki saw now, a tall musclebound man with dark skin, a shaved head, and a traditionally inked tattoo that spanned across nearly his entire body, the image of a dragon made of starlight. Parts of it were covered by his loosely worn red kimono.

Most would find him intimidating at first glance, but she knew better.

"Tatsukiiiiiii," he whined out in his deep voice. It grated against her ears but wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as him draping all one hundred and five kilograms of himself on her dramatically. "You spend all this time ignoring me and suddenly you want a 'crash course'? I had this whole wonderful plan for how I was going to get you to unlock Bankai! Now what am I going to do with it?"

"Give me the short version," she said dryly, shoving him off her.

"How could you be so mean!" he cried, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief. Tatsuki groaned.

Most would find Yakeruni intimidating, but she knew for a fact that he was an overdramatic, picky, dumb as a brick crybaby.

"Get over it," she said. "Desperate times, desperate measures." She was, if anything, desperate.

"Oh, I know," he said with a smirk. "You've finally come to your senses and are trying to rescue Ichigo just like I knew you always wanted to, and you need the help of the little ol' me!"

Tatsuki rubbed her temples. She could already feel the headache coming on. "You can gloat about being right later. Can we just get to it already?"

Yakeruni hummed, hands on his hips as he looked at Tatsuki, amused. It was the same look he'd given her when they first met. It annoyed her then, too. "Getting Bankai was going to take you about two weeks once we got started," he finally said. "Now, we'll have about twenty-four hours, probably less."

"I know that," Tatsuki said with a heavy gulp.

"I'll have to push you to your limit. There'll be no sleeping, no eating, your muscles will probably feel like they want to burst! Are you okay with that?"

Tatsuki scoffed. "You already know my answer."

With a wide grin that sent a shiver down her spine he said, "That's a good girl."

Part II

Rukia was flat on her back, staring up at an artificial sky and frostbitten in places she didn't know could get frostbitten. The day was nearly over, even if it didn't look like it. The ache that had set deep in her bones told her.

After a few minutes of this, just staring and breathing, dust was kicked up next to her, Rukia having to squint against it. Barely a meter away Tatsuki had collapsed similarly, head between her knees as she tried to shake the soot from her hair. The Shinigami looked as bad as Rukia felt, covered in various burns with hair singed just a little shorter than Rukia remembered it being.

It was weird having your former enemy just sit next to you like that, vulnerable. Things could change so quickly, couldn't they?

"We don't have much time," Tatsuki said, punctuating her statement with a single cough.

"No." The execution was tomorrow, and a part of Rukia still couldn't believe it.

Tatsuki nodded, dragging her head up and brining her legs into a crisscross position. "I…" she started. She took a deep breath. "Shit, I'm not really good at this.

"I wanted to thank you," Tatsuki muttered. "I'm pretty sure getting the shit kicked out of me _twice_ helped me think a little, you know. I may not act like it but me and Ichigo were close once. We practically grew up together and…and I really helped them hunt him down. I…" she let out a bitter laugh. "How did it even get this bad?"

Rukia bit the inside of her cheek, trying to keep her eyes off Tatsuki, just to afford her this one dignity as the Shinigami's shoulders shook in the corner of her eye. For a while, she didn't utter a word. It took her a few minutes, but eventually Rukia gathered the nerve to say something, sitting up next to Tatsuki.

"I owe Ichigo a lot. It sounds like you do, too, and…if you need a third beating, I'm always here." She ended it with a cheeky smile. Tatsuki shoved Rukia in the shoulder with a smirk.

 _"_ _The night's not over, yet,"_ Sode's smooth voice called out. Rukia let out a heavy sigh.

"Great, I better go before she plans another sneak attack," the substitute groaned. Tatsuki simply waved her off, dragging herself up on shaky feet. With that Rukia ran into the snow.

Honestly, Rukia would be surprised if Sode _hadn't_ already planned a sneak attack. It just wasn't in the Spirit's nature to fight fair. So, Rukia approached warily and formed an Ice Blade in preparation. (She still remembered the shocked look on Sode's face when she first managed that trick.)

How would Sode attack Rukia this time, she wondered. Rukia had been ambushed just about every way possible at this point, though she wondered if it was too soon to consider herself safe.

A few dozen steps into the ice and Rukia found her right foot rooted to the ground. A single alarmed glance down and she saw that it was encased in ice that was slowly creeping up to her ankle.

"You're so easy to trick, it's embarrassing," Sode giggled. She charged at Rukia from the front.

Rukia brought her sword up to block, instantly cringing at just how little leverage this awkward position gave her. With a cry she shoved Sode back.

"Next Dance! White Ripple!"

Sode was forced back by the attack a surprised look on her face as she dodged it. Those few seconds were all Rukia needed to bring the blade down onto the ice trapping her foot, breaking it as well as the blade of her temporary sword. She was throwing away the remains and gathering the energy for a new one just as Sode begun to lay into her again, swiping at her head.

"Doesn't this feel familiar?" Sode said after a failed stab.

"Unfortunately," Rukia muttered, ducking under a swipe. With a grimace Rukia realized that Sode wasn't planning on letting up any time soon as attack after attack came to her, with every harsh dodge breaking away the Reishi that Rukia had managed to gather in her hand. It looked like her choices were either find an opening or just get faster at making the blades, and Sode certainly wasn't giving her an opening.

Rukia kept on dodging, moving off instinct as she focused all her concentration and power into her right hand. She crafted the blade in layers and chunks, could feel the cold surface of the hilt settling in her hand, and the second she needed it, she brought it in front of her to block another heavy strike.

She didn't see the blade, just pieces of it as it shattered instantly on impact.

"Really, Rukia? You try and come at me with that malformed thing? I think the very first blade you ever made was better than that!" She dove at Rukia again striking, knocking the warped hilt right out of her hand. Another strike had Rukia ducking down just to avoid being decapitated.

Rukia didn't allow herself any time to dwell on this. She just tried again, quickly forming another blade in her hands as she swung up into Sode's stomach. It landed with a heavy impact, her Zanpakuto taking a staggering step back before grabbing the blade with her bare hand. The Spirit crushed it in her first.

"Now that was just sad." Sode struck back with a vicious slice, one that Rukia barely managed to avoid. She had to do better.

The next blade, Rukia spent a bit more time on, if only a second more. She focused on the familiar feeling of the real Sode in her hands, the weight, the leather grips, the exact temperature. The second she felt it, she swung it out in front of her, meeting Sode's with a mighty swing.

Sode's blade was smashed to pieces. The Spirit looked on in shock as the hilt crumbled to nothing in her hands. Rukia kept her guard up, sword still raised beside her.

"You couldn't do that yesterday," Sode said, staring down at her hand. A subtle smile was on her face, one that Rukia may have missed if she weren't so close. Her Zanpakuto looked at her carefully.

"We will meet once more tomorrow," Sode said. "After that…we'll see." Sode didn't spare a glance over her shoulder, just walked off to wherever she seemed to go when she didn't want to be found. Only when she disappeared did Rukia lower her sword, letting it fall to the ground.

Rukia felt a shock of her own as she stepped away and to the edge of the training grounds. She hadn't thought _that_ would happen. All she was looking to do was successfully block and somehow, she'd pulled off something that had managed to stun Sode for a second there. She supposed this meant she was doing better, progressing, but really, she hadn't the foggiest idea.

Whatever. Sode had said she was done until tomorrow morning. That meant she could sleep finally. She wondered if she would be able to, considering what else was waiting for her the next morning?

Part III

"I need more time," Sode no Shirayuki said, voice steady.

Yoruichi let out a deep sigh, running a hand through her hair as she wondered what she ever did to get herself placed in _this_ position.

"We don't have more time," Yoruichi explained. "The execution is in a just a few hours."

With pursed lips, Sode said, "I just need to be sure. She will be where she is needed when the time comes, isn't that right, Rukia?"

"Huh?" the girl sounded, a look of discomfort on her face. She sent Yoruichi an apologetic look when she finally answered, "…yes?" Her Zanpakuto looked to Yoruichi as if that should have been enough.

Biting her lip, Yoruichi thought that she really didn't have time for this now. Tatsuki was already waiting for her at the entrance. The others were waiting for her in the First Division. She had to go and negotiating with someone else's Zanpakuto wasn't something she'd waste her time on even if she wasn't in a hurry.

"You know your position, right?" Yoruichi eventually asked with a frown.

Rukia nodded. "Near the execution stand and out of sight."

"See, she's got it," Sode no Shirayuki said offhandedly. "We will be there _with_ Bankai."

Yoruichi looked between the two staring expectantly at her. Letting out an exasperated sigh she moved to leave.

"You'd better," she said over her shoulder. She could hear the telltale sounds of training before her foot even crossed the edge of the ice.

Reaching the sitting room Yoruichi saw Tatsuki, waiting patiently and leaning casually against the wall. She looked scuffed up, bruised, maybe even a bit worn down, but she didn't seem tired. She was buzzing with a quiet energy, ready to go as she came off the wall on light feet the second she noticed Yoruichi. Now, Yoruichi wasn't a betting woman, but she'd wager that this girl was just itching to try her new Bankai.

"Let's go," Yoruichi said, cracking a smile. "I assume you can keep up."

"Yes, Cap–!" The girl cut herself off with a fake cough as her face tinged pink. "I mean…yes Miss Shihōin."

Yoruichi found the slip up downright adorable. She was almost jealous of Tōshiro for managing to land Tatsuki as a Lieutenant.

"You _can_ call me Yoruichi, you know," she said, walking towards the cliff edge. Tatsuki paused for a moment, shocked before nodding silently. With one last glance over her shoulder, Yoruichi jumped off.

She ran quickly through the trees, looking over her shoulder every once in a while, to confirm that _yes_ Tatsuki could keep up. Yoruichi filed that little detail in the back of her mind with a satisfied smile. It'd been a while since she'd had a genuine pupil, and the young Lieutenant might be a good candidate. Who knew? Maybe she'd end up stealing her from Tōshiro after all?

Yoruichi would leave that for another day, though. For now, she had to focus on the plan.

Their little ragtag group would be divided in three for this mission. There was Group A those wandering the First Division, Group B which consisted of Tatsuki and Rukia, and Group C Yoruichi and their Contact.

Group A was there to stop Ichigo from ever reaching the top of the hill, ambushing whoever was with him and taking him back to the training grounds until they could safely get out of the Soul Society entirely.

Group B was there as a diversion. Those two needed to cause as much a fuss as possible on the hilltop and keep as many eyes on them while Group A did their job. They were also there just in case Group A failed entirely.

Group C was mostly there on standby, making sure everything went smoothly and possibly to fight anyone that looked like they would be too much for the kids to handle. Hopefully they wouldn't need to get involved at all, but considering the execution's audience, they just might need to.

The plan was simple, it had at least a few layers of insurance, and would at the very least achieve their main goal: keeping Ichigo alive.

"Understood?" Yoruichi asked the quietly listening group before her.

They nodded back.

"Good," she said with a smirk. "Orihime, you'll be the one to lead them there."

"Yes, ma'am!" She even saluted, how cute.

They all looked at her so confidently, so solemnly, it had Yoruichi feeling the same, even if she knew there were factors at work here that they didn't know about, things that just may ruin everything. She hoped that those wouldn't come in to play, for their sakes.

Yoruichi left them at that with a nod and a salute of her own. She'd done her duty here, and now all she had to do was wait.

Part IV

While dodging and parrying attack after attack from Sode, Rukia found herself quite distracted, not that anyone would blame her. They had two, maybe three hours to get into position, and Rukia felt herself grow more and more nervous with every passing second.

"Had enough, yet?" Sode asked after releasing a White Ripple that sent a hill behind Rukia crumbling.

"In your dreams." Rukia charged Sode in another attack. She was staying here until they were finished.

"You'd stay, even if I let your time run out and kept you here until it was all over?" Sode asked with a smirk, dodging.

"Show off," Rukia growled, slicing at the woman again. "I get it, you can read my mind. You can't surprise me with that trick anymore." Just as Rukia finished that sentence Sode came in close, the hilt of her sword at Rukia's stomach and a foot behind hers to send her to the ground with a heavy _thud_.

"It's looks like I still can," the Spirit said with a smile, the tip of her blade right at Rukia's throat.

Rukia didn't let it scare her. If anything, this was familiar territory. This was where Rukia would have to find some way out of the hold, go for a gutsy counter attack, and in the end Sode would give her a knowing smile as if this were her intention all along. Sode chose this one time to flip the script.

The blade at Rukia's throat dissolved away, sprinkling down on the ground like snowflakes. In its place was Sode's outstretched hand. Blinking dumbly for a moment Rukia reached up and took it, bringing herself up and dusting the snow off her backside as Sode studied her, not saying a word.

"I wasn't sure yesterday," Sode suddenly began. "To be honest, I wasn't sure this morning, either, but now, I know." The words may have been frustratingly cryptic, but for once Rukia thought she knew what Sode was getting at. Her breath caught in her throat. "When I go back to my usual form, you will be able to use our Bankai. All you must do is call for it."

It took Rukia a moment to even catch her breath after hearing such a thing. "Bankai," she breathed. "So, we really have it?"

It was amazing, exhilarating, awe inspiring. Rukia felt her excitement all the way down to her toes. She didn't feel any different otherwise, though, didn't feel any more powerful. Was she supposed to?

Sode nodded, chuckling quietly. To what exactly, Rukia wasn't sure, but before she could ask, Sode's expression had turned to something solemn.

"I assume you remember the consequences."

"I remember," Rukia said, chewing her lip. "Whatever happens, we'll handle it together, right?"

Sode's expression softened at this as she whispered something to herself under her breath. She dissolved in front of her like the blade into tiny snowflakes that disappeared into the ground. When Rukia's hand went to her hip she found her blade with her once again.

Rukia wasn't able to catch all of what Sode said, just bits and pieces, syllables that she couldn't quite put together. The only words that she heard clear as day were the last ones that Sode said before dissolving entirely.

 _"_ … _my wielder…"_

It was the first time Sode had called her that, maybe even the first time she'd acknowledged Rukia at all, and now, secure at her side, Rukia could feel every bit of the Spirit's faith, of the will that mingled with her own. In a way it was heavy, like she was _more_ than she was just a second ago. There was something comforting about it, though.

Yeah, they could do this.

Rukia left the training grounds quickly. She knew she didn't have much time to get there and that she'd need to hustle if she didn't want to accidentally ruin everything with her tardiness. She hurriedly moved the bookshelf back in front of the hidden entrance behind her, closed the heavy wooden door, and used Hohō to reach her destination as quickly as possible. Pleasantly, she found herself going even faster than she was before. She sent a silent thank you to Sode for pushing her to use it in almost every match they had.

The sun was reaching its apex when she got to her position. She didn't see Tatsuki immediately but was sure that the other girl was close. Rukia was right where they had discussed, under the furthest edge of the highest cliff. Right above her, was the execution stand. For a moment she wondered if she'd be able to see it if she moved back a bit and craned her neck just so, but she banished the thought immediately. She didn't think she could stomach looking at it right now.

It was more important that she find Tatsuki, anyway. So, trudging ahead, she kept an eye out for the Lieutenant, searching for any trace of black in the trees.

Within seconds Rukia found someone, but it was hardly who she wanted to see. Her hand reached for her Zanpakuto. She had Bankai now, so she finally stood a chance, didn't she? She had to. There was no way she could be stopped here.

Captain Shiba was standing before Rukia, leaning against a tree, a hand on his Zanpakuto. He looked down at her in a way that just about made her heart stop.

Her eyes were dragged away by movement, right out of Captain Shiba's line of sight. Rukia chanced a glance up, and for a single moment met eyes with Tatsuki, crouched on a branch. The girl brought a finger up to her lips, a silent "don't say a word" as she unsheathed her own Zanpakuto. Rukia gulped. So, that was the plan.

"I don't want to fight you," she told Captain Shiba, eyes steady on him, "but if I have to, I will." It sounded a little lame, even to Rukia's ears. She hoped he wouldn't think anything of it.

"I don't want to either," he said with a humorless smile. "We could just do this the easy way, if you want."

Rukia unsheathed Sode no Shirayuki.

"Or not." His smile dropped.

Getting into position for her first attack Rukia saw many things. She saw the Captain begin to unsheathe his own Zanpakuto. She saw the smirk growing on his face. She saw Tatsuki move to spring down from her perch. She saw the hesitation in her partner's eyes. She saw a spark of determination in there too. In one second the battle had begun, but for once she wasn't alone.

"Dance! Sode no Shirayuki!"

* * *

 **"…it's high noon…"**


	27. XXVII

**New week new chapter! Before I get into, though I'd like to say that I took some major liberties with Rukia's Bankai for the sake of this story. So, quick warning there.**

 **Also, this chapter is a little more violent than usual, mostly because it's like 99.9% fight scenes.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Part I

With a single cry the battle begun.

"Dance! Sode no Shirayuki!"

Rukia sent a White Ripple at Captain Shiba, watching it slice through the air towards him. It never reached, not that she was surprised. In a blur he was several meters away, and in another blur Tatsuki had come down upon him with a yell.

The Lieutenant's sealed Zanpakuto met the Captain's with a heavy impact, and to Rukia's chagrin the man didn't look as shocked as she would have liked. Tatsuki found herself shoved off, landing on her feet with barely a stumble on the other side of him. She activated her Shikai without a word. This move had the Captain's eyes widening in surprise.

"You've activated your Bankai," he said quietly. Then, looking back at Rukia, a fierce grin on his face he added, "You both have."

Neither girls answered him. They simply stayed silent as they moved around the Captain, looking for any possible opening. The man held himself in a relaxed way, loose. Rukia would have said he looked unguarded if she hadn't known any better.

Tatsuki was the first to attack, charging at him with flames licking the edge of her blade, sword arching, forcing him back. Rukia came right after, a White Ripple launched immediately and then dodged. She followed through, running forward and slicing at him with her own blade. They may not have had any time to make battle plan, but the goal here seemed clear: corner then take down.

This was easier said than done.

Captain Shiba was kept plenty busy by the two being unable to even attack under their joint volley, or at least that's what it looked like at first. He was dodging attack after attack, moving just a hair too fast to land anything meaningful on him. His Zanpakuto was barely able to twitch in their direction before Tatsuki met him blade for blade. In those ways, he seemed to be at the end of his rope, but all Rukia had to do to prove otherwise was see the look on his face.

He was smiling, light and easy as he dodged. He even seemed to be having some fun with that, and well, that pissed Rukia off just a bit, not nearly as much as it pissed off Tatsuki, though.

When most people got angry, they lose focus, they start to slip up and make mistakes. Rukia had taken down quite a few Hollows using that against them, actually. The fact that trick couldn't be used as easily on smarter Hollows was what made them so deadly. They weren't necessarily stronger, just more focused and slower to get to that point of sloppiness.

Tatsuki, luckily, wasn't one of those people at all, though for once Rukia got to see it used against someone other than herself. The second Tatsuki noticed the Captain's smile her attacks became deadlier, sharper. Her accuracy grew and when she came at him at a breakneck pace from the left, forcing him back and right into Rukia, she managed to send a blast of flames right up his arm, making that smile of his waver.

She almost single handedly pushed him further into the brush, and it was there that Rukia saw her chance. She slammed the tip of her blade into the ground as the Captain's feet met a tangle of roots.

"Tatsuki!" she called out in warning. The Lieutenant took one look at Rukia and jumped into the trees. Before Shiba could follow her his feet were frozen to the ground. A tense quiet settled over them.

"Huh," the Captain sounded, experimentally tugging at his leg. It didn't budge. "That's some Zanpakuto you got there. The reports really didn't do it justice."

Rukia shifted in her position. The ice was still growing up his leg. He seemed completely immobile, but he didn't seem very concerned by it. Her guard went up immediately. Tatsuki landed beside her with a gentle _thump_ eyes trained perfectly on the Captain.

Best to be cautious, then.

"White Ripple!" Rukia yelled. She let loose the attack, Tatsuki right at her back, and not a moment later a rush of steam came from the target.

"Burn, Engetsu."

Rukia heard it, almost like a whisper as the steam bit at her skin, scalding. She threw an arm over her eyes in instinct, finding it hard not to get pushed back by the sheer force of it. Even in the midst of all that, Rukia was able to register _just how bad this was._

"Shit!" Tatsuki muttered next to her. Rukia pulled her arm from her face. The mist was just starting to clear. "We have to–"

"Getsuga Tenshō!" Rukia could see a dull glow through the fog, a red so dark it was nearly black, right at the tip of the Captain's shadowed blade. With widened eyes Tatsuki roughly took Rukia's hand and ran for the trees, dragging her for a moment, and then forcing her down into the ground as an immense power washed over them. They stayed down for a long while.

With a heaving chest Rukia brought herself up on her hands and knees with much hesitation. She saw the trees that took the attack she and Tatsuki were meant to, seeing them cut cleanly in half, curved edge of the stumps still smoking. She saw the trees behind those in a similar state (and the trees behind those and behind _those_ ).

She looked back over her shoulder to see the slowly approaching Captain a way behind her, not a trace of ice on him.

"…His Zanpakuto's energy based," she heard Tatsuki explain through the sound of her own pounding heart. "You need to watch for those attacks. He probably won't release his Bankai, but…" She trailed off before shaking her head furiously. "He won't. I go right. You go left."

Tatsuki went after him in a moment, Rukia taking a second to even register what she had said, much less follow. It was a little delayed, but Rukia found herself backing up Tatsuki's closer ranged attacks, designed to keep him from doing another one of those…well, Rukia wasn't really sure what that was.

She watched as Tatsuki clashed with Shiba again, trying to trap him in another White Tree as he locked his blade into one of the larger rivets in Tatsuki's Zanpakuto, throwing her off balance and rolling away several centimeters. The moment she saw him start to gather energy at the tip of his blade, Rukia charged in herself.

The substitute kept him off balance, using her recent experience, with a larger Shinigami. She switched between going high and going low, falling just short of tripping him up, but at the very least managing to keep him busy. Tatsuki was rolling back onto her feet then, the Captain's eyes going to the other girl for a fraction of a second. Rukia scored a cut on up his right forearm.

"Rukia, freeze that wound, now!" Tatsuki cried out desperately. She was charging towards them, flame at the ready. Rukia was already swinging her blade (because nothing good came after a warning like _that_ ) preparing another attack.

Before she could even utter the word "Ripple", and before Tatsuki managed to reach them the Captain took a blood covered finger and smeared in onto his blade and with a single swing a blast hotter than anything Tatsuki had ever conjured shot out of his Zanpakuto. There was no time to hide, no time to run.

Rukia thought that in her last moments she might have thought or said _something_ interesting, but she found that her mind was just blank as this incredibly energy came barreling towards her. That was why when she was tackled to the ground and held there, she did nothing but fall over as Tatsuki crouched over her, covering her as much as she could.

For a moment, Tatsuki was swaying on her hands and knees. Then, she collapsed limply, right on top of Rukia as a wave of horror washed over the girl. Rukia let out something between a horrified gasp and a strangled scream when she rolled the Shinigami off her. When she saw her back, she went silent.

Most of the fabric on Tatsuki's back was burned away entirely, the flesh underneath red in some areas, white in others as it seemed to want to peel away. Rukia's hand hovered over the wound helplessly. Sometimes her ice could slow a bleeding wound, but this…this was different. What would she even do, here?

Before she had the chance to sort out her thoughts, Tatsuki stirred beneath her, eyes coming into focus again as she forced herself back up.

"Damn," she rasped out, just as she got herself up on her hands. Then, with a wry smile she asked. "Is it just me or are we getting out asses kicked?"

Rukia didn't find it very funny. She just stared at Tatsuki with wide eyes. Tatsuki's smile dropped. She brought herself fully to her feet, an eye on the approaching Captain. They didn't have long.

"We need to release our Bankai," Rukia said, "but we'll need to keep our distances. Ice and Fire probably don't mix well."

Beads of sweat were forming on Tatsuki's forehead, and when she nodded, she dislodged a few of them, droplets splattering on the ground.

"Wait for my signal."

At that Rukia ran away from Tatsuki, feeling something clench in her stomach at the act. She quickly got to the other side of the Captain, judging the distance by sight as she got herself clear out of Tatsuki's range. She hoped to god this would work.

"Now!" she yelled. "Hakka no Togame!"

"Yoenhoshi!" Tatsuki yelled right after.

Rukia had never activated Bankai before, hadn't even seen one, really, and so, even if she knew on an instinctive level what she could do with hers, it still felt so wonderful, so new.

She was dressed in a pure white Kimono, delicate ribbons trailing behind her. The black hair that used to fall into her eyes was now as snowy as Sode's own locks. She could hear the gentle jingle of her intricate hair ornaments by her ears. Her breath fogged in the clear air. Her hands tightened around the icy blade in her grip. She felt beautiful, _powerful_.

Across from her she could see Tatsuki, who looked quite different. Not much of her appearance had changed, aside from the flames surrounding her head like a halo. Her sword was gone and around her were six floating steel pillars inscribed with Kanji that Rukia couldn't quite see from here. They circled the girl for a single rotation until a single one settled in front of her.

"Scald!" the Lieutenant called out, and right before Rukia's eyes the pillars seemed to melt, revealing a single powerful stream of flame. The fight began anew.

Tatsuki attacked first, an eager grin on her face as she sent the snake-like stream of flame right at the Captain, fast as lightning, sending him running back, dodging in barely trackable blurs.

Rukia knew pretty immediately that she couldn't take the same approach. The cold having seeped deep into her muscles within seconds. If she were lucky, she'd be able to run as fast as she could as a human, meaning the punishing pace the battle was taking was completely beyond her.

All that meant, though, was that she'd need a different way to keep up.

Taking careful steps, registering the frozen patches of ground she left behind, Rukia looked for an opportunity to send a blast of freezing air at the Captain. She was confident that even one hit would do the trick. So, the first time Tatsuki sent him edging in her direction, Rukia took careful aim, swinging at him, forcing him back to the pillar of flame.

The Captain was, for once, truly trapped between the two, and it was as he was back peddling that Tatsuki's pillar brushed with the man, just barely touching his cut right arm, harshly cauterizing the wound in an instant, a visible grimace on his face.

Rukia let loose another attack, him evading it with much more time to spare then Rukia would like. When Tatsuki's fire twisted towards him at high speed, reaching for his legs, he jumped away from that one, too. Rukia fired another attack, and missed in an even worse way, movements growing more sluggish as the seconds went on.

She could see the frost crawling up her hands, and when she forced them to move again, she could feel an aching pain in the joints. She forced them to move just a little bit faster as she started to run in, putting some cautious Hohō into her feet because _dammit_ _now wasn't the time!_

That was probably her first mistake.

Tatsuki seemed to just be getting started as her speed and energy grew until Rukia had a hard time keeping track of her at all. The girl was a pure force of nature, and Rukia didn't use that term lightly. Rukia didn't notice that their attacks were growing out of sync as she pushed herself ever harder.

What Rukia saw was a single moment in which Captain Shiba was vulnerable to her, and she went for it. She aimed right for the Captain's core sure that this would be _the one_ and watched as she missed by a single hair. He flew past it, and with two muttered words sent a Getsuga Tenshō right at Tatsuki.

She saw the single moment of pained shock on Tatsuki's face, saw when the girl was sent flying back into the trees, and Rukia's face went as white as her hair with horror.

Then, she felt anger.

Captain Shiba had really done that. He'd attacked Rukia's new ally. He'd attacked the Lieutenant he trusted enough to go to the World of the Living with. She was his son's friend and he'd probably just killed her. He just…he…

 _He had to pay._

Rukia pushed herself as hard as she could, ignoring the aching in her joints that quickly turned to burning sending volley after volley of ice to the man freezing entire sections of the forest around them.

 _He kept on dodging. Why the fuck did he keep on dodging? Why couldn't he just stay still? Why can't I go faster?!_

This was the mantra that went on loop in her head. They grew louder, angrier, until one word was indistinguishable from the next, until it was just a wave of screaming in her head. It was when she let that cry out, loud guttural, inhuman, freezing everything around her in a single flash that Rukia lost consciousness.

…

When that human girl, (Rukia, as he'd heard) started coming at Isshin with everything she had, he realized something was very wrong.

It didn't take a medic to realize this girl had to have been in pain. Her skin seemed completely frozen in some places, cracked open with some of the worst frostbite he'd ever seen (and he helped train Tōshirō back in the day). She was ignoring all of that though, just attacking him with a single-minded rage. When she let out her grand scale attack, he had a mere second to shield not only himself with a Kidō spell, but young Tatsuki as well.

So, there he was, crouched over the Lieutenant, energy shielding them both and marking out an unfrozen square of the grass. She was currently behind him, sitting up and patting down her chest, probably wondering why it wasn't in pieces right now.

He really wanted to explain everything, but now probably wasn't the time. He cautiously released the spell.

Behind him stood Tatsuki, confused and unsure. Before him stood Rukia, though it was pretty obvious this was no longer the girl he was fighting before. For a second, she just stood there, swaying slightly, and Isshin was starting to think maybe that was all she had in her.

Then, she let out a cackle, throwing her head back as this horrible inhuman sound made its way from her throat, and from that open mouth came a thick white substance that he'd seen far too many times.

A mask formed over the girl's face obscuring all but a pair of bright blue irises that were boring into him. She…no, _it_ attacked them.

It released another grand attack, sweeping recklessly at them and Isshin did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed Tatsuki's arm behind him and Shunpo'd the hell out of there, dragging her along. In a second, they were out of range, Isshin's eyes wide as he wondered how things had gotten this out of hand this quickly.

"Did you know…?" he trailed off glancing back to an equally shocked Tatsuki.

"No!" she yelled. The proud pillar of fire from before was starting to wilt and waver. It was shaking as badly as she was.

 _It_ spotted them in that moment, attacking them again, and Isshin pulled them both out of the way yet again, thankful for the difference in speed. He could see the trees that had taking on the brunt of the blast. They were cracking under their own weight, crumbling. He didn't want to know what would look like on a person. He didn't want anyone to get hurt here.

Well, glancing back to what he had done to Tatsuki's back, he amended that to "seriously hurt", feeling a little guilty.

Tatsuki managed to drag herself from that shock then, and directed her Bankai towards the…

Isshin knew what it was, what this was. He just didn't want to consider the implications.

Tatsuki seemed hesitant to go near the girl, though, the flames wavering before they could ever make contact. It was likely she just didn't want to hurt this girl.

(All the more reason to make sure this human made it out of here alright. Tatsuki hadn't had a friend in a while.)

By now he'd had a little while to observe this girl's Bankai. He saw that every step taken left behind a trail of ice, put together that even its skin was probably too dangerous to touch right now.

Isshin was never a very cautious man.

He saw one moment in which the Hollow left itself wide open, sending a blast of ice to Tatsuki's Bankai which dodged just in the nick of time. He ran towards it in a flash, slamming his hand to the side of its face, cringing as the appendage froze almost immediately. He pinned it roughly to the ground.

"Tatsuki!" he yelled out, and in an instant her stream of fire zig zagged over the Hollow, holding the struggling creature to the ground.

The Hollow struggled, writhing and screaming the types of obscenities Isshin yell at Ichigo for saying around his sisters. Hopefully it would manage to wear itself out soon enough. There was no reasoning with it now.

"Captain?" he heard Tatsuki pant out beside him. He grimaced thinking yeah, it was about time he explained himself to her. He turned.

She punched him right in the eye.

"What the hell was that?!" she yelled. Isshin clutched his face with his burned hand, moaning. Okay, he deserved that one. "If you're going to test us like that, maybe pick a better time!"

"So, you figured that part out?" he asked with a pout, looking through his fingers.

"Yeah," she scoffed, "I know what your Getsuga Tenshō can do to people. I figured it out when that second one didn't _cut me in half_."

"Oh! So, you did believe me for a while!" he exclaimed with a sly look.

"Not the point!" she yelled angrily. She then shook her head. "Gods, no wonder poor Matsumoto won't stop complaining about you."

He gasped, hand to his heart. "My dear Rangiku complains about me?!"

"She told me, and I quote, 'Captain Shiba's the reason I drink.'"

At this, Isshin did what was practically an entire routine involving fake crying, soulful lamentations, and wallet pictures of his late wife. Here, the Hollow broke.

 _"_ _Could you just stop, already!"_ it yelled in a tinny voice. _"I think I'd rather die than listen to another minute of this!"_

"Huh, you _can_ talk," Tatsuki said with a raised eyebrow. She tightened her Bankai's hold ever so slightly.

 _"_ _I'm not just some mindless beast,"_ it said, sounding far more relaxed than it had any right to be.

"Good," Tatsuki said coldly. "Then you can be reasoned with. Leave this girl's body before I burn you to a crisp."

 _"_ _Hmm…"_ the Hollow hummed, tapping its fingers idly. _"Nope!"_ It laughed then, as if it had just told the best joke it had ever heard.

With a frown Tatsuki tightened her Bankai's grip on the Hollow, but it only laughed louder, growing hysterical.

 _"_ _I know you won't kill this girl!"_ it cried. _"You think of her as your 'ally'. She does too, you know."_

"I've only been her 'ally' for a few days, Hollow, and I still have a mission to complete. Don't test my patience."

"It's got a point," Isshin said from the side. The Hollow turned to him, shocked for a moment. That look quickly turned into a glower.

They both had a point, he thought. Isshin knew a bit about the mission, just enough to realize that these girls were supposed to be at the top of that mountain and distracting the Captains there with a staged fight. He knew that Tatsuki would never kill the girl, despite what she said.

He also knew that they were delayed because of him and that he needed to come up with something fast.

"You're right, Hollow," he said slowly. "We aren't going to kill you. That being said I've got a friend that would just love to take a closer look at you in his lab."

This statement had a slightly different impact than the others if the creature's harsh glare was anything to go by. It seemed this creature didn't trust him quite as much as it did Tatsuki.

Isshin smirked. This just might work out, in the end.

"You have the human's memories, don't you?" he asked.

 _"_ _Bits and pieces."_

"Then you know about her mission."

 _"_ _Yeah, she wouldn't shut up about it."_ It was an odd phrasing, one that Isshin made sure to remember.

"Then I've got a proposition for you!" he said with a grin. "You climb up on that hill and finish the mission, and I'll make sure you stay out of that lab."

For a moment the Hollow stayed silent, staring right at him, bright eyes uncomfortably piercing. He wondered if it would actually agree.

 _"…_ _Fine."_

Isshin looked right back into the Hollow's eyes. They were empty and hate filled. He could see a thousand wishes for his painful demise. He saw no lie.

"Tatsuki, let it go."

The girl blinked at him in shock. "A-are you sure?"

"I'm sure," he said. "I'm also sure that you should deactivate your Bankai entirely. You strain yourself any more and you won't be able to fight at all."

Tatsuki's eyes flashed up at him, her mouth opening to protest, but after a moment she seemed to think better of it. She took a small step back and with a shaky breath simply said, "Yes, Captain Shiba." She allowed the fire to dissipate, her Zanpakuto reverting back to its Shikai.

The Hollow wasted no time after that springing back to its feet and running away. For a moment Isshin was afraid it had gone back on its word, that he'd miscalculated, and then he figured where it was running.

"Ornery bastard," he muttered. "Tatsuki, are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she said. It was pretty obvious that she had a tenuous grasp on what was even going on at this point, and he was hardly going to fault her for that. Even he was confused.

"Let's make sure that Hollow doesn't get too far ahead, then."

Part II

Crouched in the shadow of the trees, waiting for their enemies, Uryuu was starting to second guess this mission. He knew it was far too late for something like that and that now was the time to just shut up and complete the mission, but with the sounds of battle coming from the ground below, with the feeling of the trees shaking from another within the forest he was feeling a little…on edge.

There was obviously some kind of infighting happening in the Seireitei below, some terrifying battle amongst Captains taking place that Uryuu had no desire whatsoever to stick his nose in. That wasn't nearly as worrying as Orikasa's flaring Reiatsu signature deep in the trees. Judging from the nervous looks his other party members were giving each other, their minds were in similar places.

All that being said, of course, nothing had gone horribly wrong yet. There was no reason for anything to go horribly wrong, and unless anything told Uryuu otherwise he was standing his ground.

There was, of course, something about sitting there in silence and worrying that managed to pass the time incredibly well, and soon enough Uryuu had lost track of what time it was at all. The looming trees hiding the position of the sun from them certainly didn't help.

Neither did oppressive humidity that made his brain just want to stop working entirely. (Seriously, how did Shinigami manage with these heavy black robes?) It was just as he was shutting his eyes against what was probably going to be a legendary headache that he heard rhythmic footsteps coming from the nearby path. His eyes snapped open immediately.

Ganju was a few meters in front of them peering around a particularly wide tree. After barely a second, he retreated, looking them all in the eye as he held up four fingers.

 _Four guards_

They had worked out a rough plan before they had even stepped foot on the hill; though, Uryuu could only hope everything would go accordingly. He summoned his bow silently, an arrow at the ready. He waited for the signal.

"Blossom, Shun Shun Rikka," he heard Inoue whisper under her breath beside him. Four of her "butterflies" broke off from her Zanpakuto hovering in front of her for a few moments. She shifted, meeting eyes with Ganju, then Sado.

After a moment of hesitation, the butterflies zipped to the guards in a flash.

Everyone sprung into action after that, running out from the shadow of the trees and into the light. It was around then, somewhere in between his foot meeting the path and him drawing his first arrow that Uryuu got to see Shiba for the first time in weeks.

He looked ragged, worn, like he hadn't slept in days, and not even his pure white yukata managed to hide that. When Inoue's shield sprung up around him that desolate look turned into surprise, and then something akin to happiness. (Which was good. Nothing about that sad look suited the Shinigami _at all._ )

Uryuu aimed quickly for the guard furthest from him and fired before they even had a chance to process what was going on. It impacted solidly, the masked man stumbling right off the cliff. This managed to wake the other guards up.

The guard across was the first one Uryuu saw take action, a Kidō spell already at his fingertips, crackling lightning headed right for Uryuu. Chad was in front of him, Shikai clad arm absorbing most of it before it managed to hit. By then Uryuu was already drawing another arrow.

"Thanks for the save," he said, firing and hitting the one that had sent the spell. He was on the ground in a moment, and by the time Uryuu had looked up, somehow the battle had already finished.

He saw Abarai, spikes just disappearing, retreating from an unconscious man with a heavily bleeding shoulder and a lightly bleeding head. Ganju wasn't too far off, cautiously prodding another downed man, a suspiciously bloody looking rock barely a meter from them.

It was almost anticlimactic, but Uryuu would never knock a job well done. The only thing left now was to deliver Shiba. Inoue lowered her barrier.

"…Ichigo?" She said the name quietly, as if she had a hard time even believing it. Uryuu immediately felt uncomfortable, not because of some misplaced jealously, but because he felt like he was intruding on something.

"I…" Shiba sounded. He over everyone there something like bewildered relief on his face. "You guys…you really came for me."

Inoue approached him then, a hand reaching up towards his face as she looked at him carefully. Her eyes started shining. Her lip quivered. For a second Uryuu was worried that she'd really start crying right then and there, but she didn't. She sniffled once and her hand dropped to untie the ropes on his wrists, her lips pursed.

"We're not out of the woods yet," she said tersely. "We won't be safe until we reach Yoruichi's hideout."

"Huh," Shiba said, rubbing at his now free wrists. His eyes were averted. "I guess I didn't imagine that she was outside of my cell the other day. Is she with you?"

How Shiba managed to gather the energy to sound authoritative in the state he was, Uryuu had no idea. It was almost admirable, if a little annoying.

"Not exactly," Ganju said. "We'll meet up with her soon."

"Sounds good to me." Reaching up to his neck, he tore off the red collar they had strapped to it with some difficulty. He looked the to group, one by one, and then did a double take. "Where's Rukia?" he asked.

"We'll explain on our way down," Ganju said, a heavy hand on his nephew's shoulder. "We need to move before anyone figures out something's wrong."

The two held each other's gaze for a long moment after that. Shiba was the first to break it.

"…Okay," he said quietly.

The group ran as quickly as they could down the mountain path after that, which considering Shiba's weakened state, wasn't very fast at all. During this run, as Inoue, Sado, and Ganju explained things the best they could, Uryuu learned quite a few interesting things about what exactly was going on below them, or at least the three's competing theories on it. Either way they all seemed to agree on one thing. The Seireitei, especially the Captains and Lieutenants, have been in utter chaos as of late.

He looked down the edge of the path only to see a sword the size of a skyscraper descend on what appeared to be a Captain.

"Chaos" seemed to be underselling it, really.

Uryuu decided to look away from that and not even think about it, even with the battle's thunderous sounds ringing in the background. He instead looked back to Shiba who was right in behind him.

Seeing him now, Uryuu could tell he wasn't doing so well. He looked thinner and paler than Uryuu remembered and seemed utterly exhausted as he stumbled in his running every so often only to doggedly try and pick up the pace again. When Uryuu concentrated he could see the man's Reiatsu, which had been pretty weak, even when they first met.

Now, it was nearly nonexistent, barely a flicker, not unlike a regular human Soul. Considering that this man was supposed to be a Lieutenant, that could not have been good. It was likely due to extended exposure to Sekiseki stone. From what he understood the entire Repentance Cell was made of the stuff.

Uryuu clenched his fists at that. He knew personally what exposure to that stone felt like.

Whatever conversation was happening at this point was washing over Uryuu, he not really having much to add, and not being terribly upset at that.

"I still can't believe you did all this to save me," Shiba said breathlessly.

"We never would have gotten this far without Ganju and the humans," Orihime said with a gentle smile. "They were the ones that inspired us to go after you in the first place."

Uryuu doubted any of them counted as humans at this point. They were a Quincy, a Substitute Shinigami, and a Fullbringer, but he doubted that really mattered.

"Then…I guess I owe you my life," Shiba added with a grin.

"Hey, save the thanks for when we _actually_ save you," Abarai responded. "We've still got a way to go."

Actually, they were pretty close to the bunker (if Yoruichi's crudely drawn map were to be trusted), but Uryuu knew what Abarai meant. After all this work of breaking into the ridiculous fortress that was the Seireitei, they'd need a to figure a way to break out.

The group reached the turn off point, Ganju waving around the map as he yelled that they were going to head in. The man's foot barely reached the line of the trees, and suddenly, things went very, very wrong.

A figure appeared crouched on a tree branch, someone that Uryuu was sure wasn't there just a moment ago. Uryuu had hoped he'd never see this particular Captain ever again, but it seemed he wasn't so lucky.

The Captain of the Second Division looked down on them, scrutinizing as Ganju took a cautious step back. Her eyes settled on Uryuu and then Abarai, narrowing.

"I knew something was wrong," she muttered to herself, standing fully. "Ōmaeda, capture the prisoner."

He hadn't noticed the Shinigami right behind them, but the second Uryuu turned to face him it was impossible not to. He was a monster of a man, a Lieutenant if his badge was anything to go by, holding a flail the size of a wrecking ball.

"I'll take care of the rest," the Captain said. She jumped down from her perch right onto the path.

The group was boxed in on both sides on a narrow cliff by one Lieutenant and one Captain. Uryuu should have known this mission wouldn't be so easy. He summoned his bow the moment the Captain drew her sword.

…

Renji was at the back of the group with Chad when Ōmaeda suddenly appeared, and though he was feeling plenty intimidated and all that, he had a hard time taking the Lieutenant seriously. His huge purple collar was damn laughable, so was that goofy expression on his face, the one trying desperately to look scary. The Shikai was a little harder to write off. One look and Renji knew that it would only take a single hit and then lights out.

Chad ran to Ichigo immediately bracing his arm against a swinging attack from the man. The first hit was brushed off as Chad took his own swing at the man, a swing that was expertly dodged. The man reared back for another attack, and his second impact had Chad stumbling. That was about all Renji could take. Activating his spikes, he moved in to get a few hits in of his own.

…

Uryuu went into the fray cautiously optimistic. Now he was starting to think they were in some serious trouble.

He and Inoue were working in tandem aiming arrows and Kidō at the woman in rapid succession. It apparently wasn't rapid enough because the woman had no problem dodging every single one without breaking a sweat, moving faster than their eyes could even keep up with. He wasn't surprised when he saw Ganju standing to the side, frozen.

"Hadō number four, Byakurai!" Inoue called out. The powerful beam made by the spell didn't even graze the Captain.

Uryuu followed immediately with an arrow of his own, but for once the Captain did something aside from just dodge. Flipping in the air she sliced it cleanly with her Zanpakuto, sending both halves harmlessly on either side of her.

 _Of all the nerve!_

"This," she said dodging another angrily fired arrow, "is getting tiresome."

Inoue sent another incantation-less spell after the woman, dodged again.

"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!"

They may have just fallen into the worst-case scenario.

…

Ōmaeda was strong, Renji would give him that. He hefted around his Shikai like it was made of paper laying into both them and the rocky path, leaving huge cracks and craters wherever it landed. The Lieutenant had yet to score a direct hit, but Renji had been grazed at least a few times already.

(Renji barely resisted the urge to cringe against every impact, too. They were on a cliff path! This guy had to know he was playing with fire, here.)

He pushed past those feelings and moved to attack the Lieutenant again only to be blindsided by Chad of all people.

Renji's ally swung into him with heavy impact, braced against the flail that Ōmaeda had used to swing him. Renji found himself tumbling from the force and right over the narrow cliff.

For a terrifying second, he was free falling, then scrambling, and by sheer stupid luck he'd managed to get one of his shoulder spikes lodged right into the cliffside. He bit his lip against the pain. He's pretty sure that one nearly sent his arm out of its socket.

"Chad!" he yelled. He wasn't sure if he was calling for help or just making sure that the man was alright, but he called his name. Renji looked down at the buildings below his dangling feet. They looked so small from up here.

He kept his eyes up.

"Busy," he heard Chad grunt. Whatever relief Renji felt at that disappeared when he started noticing the cracks in the stone developing around the lodged spike.

…

"Suzumebachi can kill an enemy after only two strikes to the same place."

The Captain said this with a condescending grin on her face, her black and gold gauntlet with its single wicked claw glinting in the sunlight. She was right beside a terrified looking Ganju, his hand clamped to a sluggishly bleeding wound on his neck. Uryuu could see the edges of a large four-pointed mark right around it. Before the woman could make another move Uryuu fired at her, forcing her away.

He didn't let up after that, and she dodged every single one, not that he was terribly surprised at this point. There was something odd he noticed, however.

That trick from before, where she had cut one of his arrows in half. She never did it again. She didn't even try to. It was possible that with her Zanpakuto in this state she couldn't. With that he increased his volley as fast as he could.

 _Still too slow!_

The Captain was zig-zagging towards him and Orihime, the two pushing back with just about everything they had, but she moved too unpredictably. Uryuu was letting out a grunt of pain, stumbling, before he even realized he'd been hit.

Looking down he saw that same marking in the center of his chest (even over the Kimono, somehow). To the side he saw a grimacing Orihime, the mark creeping over her ear and across her cheek.

It had barely been a minute and they'd all already been hit once.

…

"Renji, grab my hand!"

Renji could see Ichigo leaned over the side of the cliff, hand extended, and maybe it was the impending death talking, but he thought the Shinigami looked like an angel right then.

Despite this, Renji was hesitant. He'd tried incredibly hard not to move at all since his initial call for help, not wanting to make the cracks in the stone he was suspended by any worse, each impact of Ōmaeda's Zanpakuto sending a jolt through him. He gulped heavily.

"Renji!" Ichigo yelled again, stretching further.

"Yeah, yeah I heard you," he answered shakily.

He crept his free hand upwards slowly, trying not to shift his weight too much. He managed to get it to his waist, his shoulders, above his head, then…

Ichigo gasped suddenly, looking over his shoulder, and Renji found himself so startled by it he jerked back. The crack widened, a rock fell, and Renji started falling too. His eyes screwed shut.

He jerked to a stop again, hitting the side of the wall as something gripped his hand. He looked up to see Ichigo, leaned a bit more precariously over the edge of the cliff. He gripped back as hard as he could.

Weakened as he was, luckily Ichigo was still pretty strong. Renji gripped on whatever surface he could, hefting himself up as Ichigo pulled them both back from the edge and onto solid ground panting and pale.

It took Renji a second to find what Ichigo had been so worked up over earlier. Now, it was all too obvious.

Chad was kneeled right behind them, an iron grip on the chain of Ōmaeda's flail, the huge spiked ball imbedded into his bloodied hip.

"Shit," Renji muttered. That looked bad, like _really bad._

Ōmaeda was at the other end of the chain, grunting, face going red as he tried to wrench it from Chad's grip. He turned to Renji and his eyes widened. That was as good a cue as any.

Renji charged in.

…

At this point, the Captain was just toying with them, and that really pissed Uryuu off.

Ganju was nursing two more marks, one on his shoulder and one on his back. Inoue had another on her stomach. Uryuu had one on his thigh. Basically, things weren't looking so good for them.

Inoue kept her spells going, but if her shaking hands were indicative of anything it was that she didn't have too many left in her. Uryuu was feeling pretty drained, himself, but he kept on firing, and _kept on missing._

The Captain came towards them again, and Uryuu found himself bracing for another one of her stings.

In a sudden movement the air was knocked clean from Uryuu's chest as she kicked him right in the sternum. He went tumbling to the ground, away from the others.

Black dots danced across Uryuu's eyes as he laid on the ground, just trying to regain his breath. When his vision starts to clear he can see a crack right at the corner of his glasses and the Captain standing over him a delicate foot pressed to his stomach.

Her literally standing over his prone body made Uryuu angry, but not nearly as much as the look in her eyes.

The Captain looked down at Uryuu as if he were nothing, an inconvenience at best, like a fly that had gotten a little to close to her lunch, one that she was getting ready to squash. She leaned down, stinger moving towards the mark on his chest.

Her claw was stopped before it could reach, a glowing orange barrier hovering over Uryuu. The Captain had a look of shocked on her face replaced quickly with anger as her head snapped over to Inoue, four segments of her Zanpakuto missing.

The Captain didn't move off Uryuu, though. Instead her free hand started to glow red. Inoue stayed still, probably knowing full well that two segments wouldn't be enough to save her.

"Inoue!" Uryuu yelled, banging on the inside of the barrier. Her shields were perfect, he knew this, but right now that didn't matter. "Inoue! O-Orihime!"

"Hadō number fifty-four, Haien."

…

Renji was able to see, up close and personal, the exact moment Ōmaeda figured out he was screwed. It was somewhere mid-kick, with Renji's spike headed right for his side. Chad still had a firm grip, Renji was just going for it, and the Lieutenant was cornered. He knew he didn't have too many options, here.

The man deactivated his Shikai, smooth blade slipping out of Chad's grip as he moved back, Renji's kick going a little wide. When Chad took a swing at the man, aiming right for the face, he didn't miss.

Ōmaeda was flung back by the sheer force of the punch hitting the ground with a solid thud. He didn't get back up.

It was pretty badass, actually, and just as Renji turned to tell Chad as much the man was falling to his knees, hands clutching his side as his Shikai quickly deactivated. Renji went down to him immediately, an arm around him just to keep him from face planting on the ground, Ichigo at Chad's other side.

"Woah, easy, big guy," Renji soothed. Bending over he got a closer look at the wound.

In a word, it was horrible. It was bleeding all over the place, and it looked like there were some broken bones under there. It was a miracle that he was able to throw that final punch at all. (That did make it even _more_ badass in retrospect, but Renji would keep that thought to himself.)

Chad was pale and sweating, but his eyes were right on the fight happening beside him, legs trembling as if he wanted to get up and intervene himself. Renji doubted that would be happening any time soon.

He heard the Captain say, "Hadō number fifty-four, Haien," and his blood went cold. Renji looked up just in time to see the Captain aim right for Orihime. It looked like a counter spell was forming on Orihime's fingertips, but it was too little too late.

The Captain's spell fired and went straight up into the sky.

It took Renji a bit to even figure out what had happened, why the woman had missed so horribly, but right there was Yoruichi, holding the woman's hand to the sky. The Captain looked _beyond_ pissed off about it, face twisted up in a confused rage.

"Yoruichi!" Ganju cried out happily. Renji was right there with him, letting out a breath that he didn't know he was holding.

"Something's happened on the hilltop," Yoruichi explained quickly, voice calm, even though the hand holding the Captain's arm was shaking. The Shinigami was struggling to get out of the hold. "You need to get up there immediately." Then, sending a pointed look to Ichigo she added, "Don't forget the mission."

Her and the Captain disappeared in a blur.

"That was way too fucking close," Ichigo gasped out. Chad quietly groaned beside him, and that must have triggered something in Orihime because she was with them in seconds, a distraught look on her face.

"Lie him down," she said. They did, Chad's face screwed up in pain for the duration of the movement. Her shield was on the wound in a moment. Renji stepped back after that, knowing there wasn't much else he could do.

"So…what now?" Ichigo asked. Honestly, Renji wasn't sure.

"We need to split up," Ishida said, sitting himself up, face pinched. "From what Yoruichi said, it seems Orikasa and Arisawa need backup, but we still have a mission to complete."

"Okay," Renji said breathlessly. "Who goes and who doesn't?"

A long moment of silence stretched on after that, the only sound being the quiet hum of Orihime's Shikai.

"…I should go with Ichigo," Ganju finally said, eyes firmly to the ground. "I couldn't do shit against the Captain. I doubt I'll be any good up there."

"I'd hardly call that a failing," Ishida said with a scoff. "She was going to kill all of us before Yoruichi arrived."

"THAT STILL DOESN'T EXCUSE IT!"

Renji almost jerked back at the sudden volume.

"I…I froze," Ganju continued. "You two were at least doing something. All I could do was try and stay out of the way."

The guy looked so depressed as he said this, it was damn near heartbreaking. If even half the stories Ganju had told before were true, he was hardly useless when he was back with Rukia. Things had just taken an unexpected turn.

…That being said, if Ganju and Ichigo were caught alone in the forest, as they were now, they wouldn't stand a chance, and as much as he wanted to help Rukia…

 _If she doesn't make it back, I'm killing her myself, just for making me worry._

"I'll go with him, too," Renji said.

"Okay," Ichigo said with a nod. He turned to Orihime then, who looked to be finishing up with Chad's wound. "You should come with us, too. You've already overexerted yourself."

Orihime's hands were shaking. Her shield was flickering, and by the time it went away she was sweating as bad as Chad was just a minute ago.

"No," she said. "After a wound like that Chad won't be able to fight. He needs rest, and Ishida can't go up there alone. Besides," she patted the pack at her hip, "I still have another Soldier Pill. I'll be alright."

Ichigo and her shared a long look after that. A lot seemed to be communicated then, not that Renji could tell what it was. Eventually Ichigo just shook his head and sighed.

"Fine."

After that, a few supplies moved hands. Chad was dragged up to his feet by Ganju, and the group split up. Moving into the forest Renji could only think of one thing.

 _Please let her come back._

* * *

 **I'm not sure if I mentioned this but Yakeruni means "Blazing Sun". Yoenhoshi means "Blazing Star". I'm not a native Japanese speaker, though, so please correct me if I'm wrong. We will probably be getting deeper into the lore of her Zanpakuto (as well as the Zanpakuto of Orihime and Chad) as the story goes along.**

 **…As for Isshin. There will be a more full explanation later. Just assume he'd decided to do some investigating after he saw Yoruichi outside of Ichigo's cell, for now.**

 **(The next chapter is going to be a big one.)**


	28. XXVIII

**New week new chapter. Don't want to spoil anything just go!**

* * *

Part I

"Stay back everyone!" Isshin commanded. A mere second ago he and Tatsuki had set foot on the top of the cliff, the Hollow's path cut off by a line of fire from Tatsuki's Shikai.

The Hollow, of course, wasn't too happy about this. With a hiss it turned to them, murder in its eyes. Cooperating or not, Isshin was pretty sure this wasn't acting.

The cliff top was surprisingly sparse, especially considering the event they were supposed to be holding here. That being said, the few that were there had Isshin feeling nervous. Suì-Fēng was one of them, standing in formation, a cautious hand on her Zanpakuto, surrounded by her Lieutenant as well as a handful of her masked underlings. She didn't scare Isshin as nearly as much as the other attendee, though.

Not far from Suì-Fēng stood the Captain Commander himself, Genryūsai Yamamoto, his own Lieutenant beside him. The old man was looking at them through narrowed eyes, a gnarled hand clenched on the cane that Isshin knew he didn't need. (Not in the traditional sense, anyway.)

Isshin counted his lucky stars that Ichigo wasn't among the people here. That at least meant some things were still going to plan.

"What is the meaning of this, Captain Shiba?" the Captain Commander's rough voice called out.

Tatsuki answered him quickly. "This Hollow was working with the Ryoka, sir! It attacked us both on our way here."

"That doesn't look like any Hollow I've seen," Suì-Fēng said with a scowl. She was already drawing her Zanpakuto out of her sheath.

 _Shit, shit, shit, have to think fast!_

"Which is exactly why you should leave it to us!" Isshin blurted out, inwardly grimacing. The look Suì-Fēng sent him was somewhere between deep suspicion and a non-verbal death threat, but she still withdrew her hand. He would consider it a win for now.

The Hollow apparently didn't like being ignored for so long, though. It turned from Tatsuki's barrier and sent a wave of cold right at Isshin, him barely having any time to Shunpo out of the way.

He could only watch as the attack hit one of the pillars of the execution stand. It crumbled in seconds. (He really had to wonder what kind of power this girl was packing.) He turned his attention back to their "opponent".

Isshin realistically had two options here. He could finish the fight quickly, minimizing the damage to the already clearly injured girl, and probably saving he and Tatsuki from facing any real suspicion from the spectators. He could also drag it along and act as distractions like they were supposed to in the first place.

His decision was pretty clear in his mind. He just hoped the girl would forgive him for this.

Isshin quickly drew Engetsu, readying a Getsuga Tenshō. He made sure his aim was just a little off as he released the attack, giving the Hollow just enough time to break left. It charged for him immediately, swinging its blade at him, and he barely had any room to block.

Their blades clashed once, twice, three times, and on the fourth he sent it stumbling back. (Even as the movement turned the cracks on its elbows into gaping wounds it showed no signs of pain. Isshin gulped.)

He sent it back further with another "misfired" Getsuga Tenshō. He stayed at the ready even when Tatsuki came forward with her own attack.

She put herself in the path of the Hollow, fire springing around them, coming right for the Hollow. None of the hits quite landed, though he imagined they weren't meant to. No, they seemed to have a different purpose as the continued flames brought color back into its skin. Blood started welling up from the wounds and its movements quickened. Isshin found himself letting out a silent sigh of relief.

"Stay on her, Tatsuki!" he yelled with a grin. "We'll have her in no time!"

That grin faltered when he saw Suì-Fēng quietly whispering to one of her officers. He met the woman's gaze for a split second, a vicious glare sent his way, before she quietly moved towards the path down the cliff. He paled, mind going through a dozen ways he might be able to keep her from heading down.

This was, of course, when the Hollow got its second wind. It charged right at Tatsuki running heedlessly over the flames, knocking the girl back. It pointed the tip of its blade right at the girl, and Isshin could see all that was gathering there. He knew whatever power it was going to release was enough to take out poor Tatsuki, and probably half of the cliff along with her. He made a split-second decision.

"Bakudō Number Seventy-Three, Tozanshō!"

Just as the attack was being released glowing pillars formed around the Hollow boxing it in entirely behind a glowing barrier. An icy fog quickly hid its shocked face from view.

"Good," the Captain Commander said with a thump of his cane, "bind it and take it to the Second Division cells so we may be rid of this mess."

Isshin nodded absently approaching the barrier with slightly trembling hands. Shit, he'd probably killed the girl with that one, hadn't he, trapping her in with that huge attack. Dear gods, what had he done?

After a long moment of hesitation, the Captain Commander's weighty stare at his back, Isshin lowered the barrier.

The fog from within released in a heavy cloud, billowing out and dissipating on the ground. In the middle was the Hollow, whom he recognized (letting out a heavy sigh of relief) as still being in one piece. It was on its knees, one hand on the ground bracing itself as it breathed heavily, the distorted noise ringing clearly through the air.

"Now, Isshin!" Yamamoto commanded. Isshin simply approached the Hollow, silent.

Tatsuki was already at the Hollow's side, an arm at its back to keep it from falling over (an arm that Isshin noticed was not freezing on contact). The Hollow brought a shaking hand up to its face and only now did Isshin notice the deep cracks running along the mask.

It dug it s fingers in, tearing off piece after piece and throwing them to the ground until all that was left was Rukia, shivering violently, eyes wide and panicked, her Zanpakuto lying sealed on the ground.

Isshin looked down at this scene, trying to think of anything he could say to save this. The Captain Commander was yelling something, demanding what Tatsuki was doing, telling Isshin that he'd just been given an order, and that he needed to follow it. Isshin only managed to say one thing in response.

"I refuse!"

…

When Rukia finally woke up she found herself on her hands and knees, shaking violently, and feeling like she wanted to vomit. She didn't know where she was, what had happened, but as her vision cleared, she was starting to put things together.

She wasn't in the forest. That much was clear. She wasn't back at the training grounds either, from what she could tell.

The first thing that fully came into focus was the person right next to her, the one that was holding on to her tightly. Tatsuki was crouched next to her, quiet as she stared up at the odd group around them.

There was Captain Shiba, an old Captain she didn't recognize, and his Lieutenant. All of them seemed to be standing off, Captain Shiba between them and the strange Shinigami. Something clicked in her mind, and Rukia realized she was at the very top of Sōkyoku Hill.

 _What the hell happened?_

"I'm not even sure where to start," Tatsuki answered in an exasperated voice. _Had Rukia said that out loud?_

"Uh…Yeah, you kind of did."

Rukia let out a quiet groan. "Mind catching me up before we both get killed?" Before she even finished the question, she found herself grimacing in pain, and looking down in horror she found her skin had what could only be described as… _cracks_ in it. Dozens of wounds bled sluggishly on her arms from what she could see. From what she could feel there were dozens more elsewhere. She wasn't even sure what she should try and grab to staunch the bleeding. All she could do was hold her hands out in front of her as she tried not to cry.

"Shit," Tatsuki hissed out. She took Rukia's arms, muttering something under her breath as she hiked up the sleeves. Within seconds a glow started to form around them. "I'm no Orihime," she said, "but this should do something, at least."

Rukia let out a quiet sigh of relief as the pain started to ebb away. "Thanks."

"Explain yourself, Isshin!" the old Captain yelled. Looking at him again, Rukia was starting to get a pretty good idea as to who he was, and if she was right, they needed to leave, fast.

She could only see him from behind, but Rukia still registered the emotion that passed through Captain Shiba. His shoulders tensed, his fists clenched, and in that one moment he became the spitting image of Ichigo.

"I'm not just going to stand back, anymore!" he yelled. "Not when you would have my only son killed. I'm not doing your dirty work for you, old man."

"Isshin!" the Captain Commander warned.

" _I refuse_."

The silence that followed was so tense. Rukia couldn't even hear Tatsuki breathing next to her.

"…Treason, Isshin?" The Captain Commander said this quietly, calmly even, but the rage bubbling just underneath was palpable. "I had expected better from you."

Captain Shiba pointed his Zanpakuto right at the Captain Commander.

"Tatsuki," he said in a hushed tone. "Take Rukia and get out of here. I'll handle this."

"Got it," Tatsuki said hurriedly. She began hefting Rukia up to her feet, and with a suppressed grimace Rukia followed. She hoped she'd have enough in her to run.

She knew she didn't want to get involved in this fight. She knew that by just looking at the Captain Commander.

The man was hunched over, a cane clutched in his hand. He had a large scar on his wrinkled bald forehead with the longest beard that Rukia had ever seen, and she doesn't think she'd ever been more scared of anyone in her entire life. His Reiatsu was immense, packed tightly around him like a cloak. It was dense, and she knew that it wouldn't take much effort for him to send them all to their knees if he so desired.

So, the two moved as quickly as they could, limping along to get to the edge of the cliff. The Commander was quicker.

He raised his cane from the ground, and before Rukia's eyes the wood burned to ash revealing the Zanpakuto hidden within. He stood up straight, all traces of his hunch gone as he drew it.

"Ryūjin Jakka!"

The second he said that the clearing filled with an immense flame, Tatsuki having barely a second to grab onto Rukia and pull her close as she raised a barrier around them. The tight grip they had on one another almost hurt. Then just as quickly as it had started, it ended.

Rukia was coughing violently into her own fist as soon as the barrier went down feeling like her _everything_ hurt. Tatsuki looked a little more well off, barely. The Lieutenant only coughed a few times before looking up again, dread in her eyes.

"Dammit," she bit out. The flames hadn't entirely dissipated. A ring of fire, about as twice as tall as them, was surrounding the field, blocking off just about every path of escape. It burned brightly, and Tatsuki was dragging them both away a, scowl on her face.

"Guess running's out of the question," panted out Rukia, hand already on her Zanpakuto. She quietly drew it.

"Today just isn't our day," Tatsuki said back with a weak laugh. Unsheathing her own sword, she stood by Rukia, the two of them preparing for the worst.

Rukia hoped to god that the worst wouldn't happen.

…

Isshin attacked first. He knew he needed that extra edge, that if Yamamoto even got the chance to attack, he would be done for good.

"Getsuga Tenshō!" It was probably the most powerful one he'd released in the last few years.

At the very last second, Lieutenant Sasakibe stepped in front of it, in a guarding stance. Even he wasn't prepared for the attack, though. He was blown back past the flame barrier, and Isshin knew he'd be down for a while.

Isshin wasted no time after that readying another Getsuga Tenshō and firing rapidly. The first was blocked with an outstretched hand and a quietly muttered spell. So was the second. The third was dodged with a barely visible Shunpo. After that Isshin stopped keeping track.

He followed the Captain Commander all across the field, trying to land a hit, to damage him just enough to falter, and at least break concentration and let the two girls go, but nothing was hitting. Isshin could start to feel exhaustion seeping in.

He needed a big attack, something that could break through whatever barrier the Captain could put up, something powerful enough to at least daze the old fart. In a quick move Isshin split open the tips of his fingers on his Zanpakuto. He came down from above.

Yamamomo was barely a second faster, the old man aiming his Zanpakuto right up at Isshin. He could feel the concentrated heat right at the tip of Yamamoto's blade and suddenly Isshin changed course from attack to _survive_.

He put up a barrier as quickly as he could and was flung clear to the other side of the cliff.

He didn't get back up.

…

 _"_ _Captain Shiba!"_ Tatsuki screamed.

Rukia was roughly shoved away as Tatsuki ran towards the man, collapsing at his side. Even from where she was standing, Rukia could tell it was bad.

He was completely limp, eyes closed. His chest was a mess of burns and singed cloth. She wasn't sure if he was breathing.

Beside him Tatsuki was visible breaking, tears welling in her eyes as her fingers fumbled around his neck, searching for something, a pulse probably. After a second of this the girl let out a sigh, a few tears falling.

"He's alive," she reported, hands shaking.

Rukia didn't know exactly what Captain Shiba meant to Tatsuki (still wasn't entirely sure what was happening, why he suddenly started defending them), but she was starting to put the pieces together.

(She was sure that if something like that had happened to Byakuya she'd be acting the same way.)

"You, Ryoka, will not be so lucky."

Looking back Rukia saw the Captain Commander approaching them, his blade in hand and surrounded by flame. She tightened her grip on her Zanpakuto as fear clenched itself around her heart.

Then, she felt a sudden cold go along the hilt, sharp like a sting.

 _Say it._

"I want to win," she said to herself.

Her hands stopped shaking. The fear was still there, but she could actually think. She had an idea of what she needed to do. Tatsuki was starting to stand up next to her, a rage in her eyes that Rukia had never seen before.

Outmatched or not, they weren't going down without a fight.

Part II

Rounding up the side of the Mountain, Orihime didn't feel as tired as she probably should have. Right now, she was feeling a surge of energy, as provided by the Soldier Pill. The tips of her fingers tingled as the adrenaline kept her head clear. She had one more battle left in her, that much she knew.

Her and Ishida reached the top of the cliff, and at first all she could see was flame, bright and tall. That was enough to make her heart stop. With a few words she summoned her Shikai clearing a path for them. A few steps in and Orihime saw exactly what she had been dreading this entire time.

Her two friends, one old and one new, were fighting against the Captain Commander. They were sticking close to one another, guarding each other. Tatsuki seemed to be doing her best to redirect and control the waves of flame headed towards them. Rukia was struggling to create barriers of ice for the two that lasted for more than a mere second. They were both sweating, exhausted, and clearly wounded.

"Ishida, cover me," she said quickly. "I'm going in."

"Got it."

The second Orihime saw Ishida draw his bow out of the corner of her eye she ran towards the two girls, and about halfway there a shocking sight nearly made Orihime stop in her tracks. Captain Shiba was lying on the ground some ways from the battle. He almost looked dead.

Her first instinct was to stop, turn around, heal him, and trust that the girls had it handled for the moment. She could tell just by looking at him that he didn't have long, that he was in immense pain and desperately needed help. Her second instinct had her think better of it.

She didn't know who defeated him, why he was on the ground, or even if he wouldn't turn around and held the Captain Commander the second he was back up. All she knew was that she needed to play it safe. So, she kept on running, going just a little faster as she gulped down the lump in her throat.

The moment Orihime reached the two, Ishida already firing at the Captain Commander, she had all six pieces of Shun Shun Rikka surround them, making a tent-shaped structure that wouldn't be breaking any time soon, flames licking the outside to no avail. She activated its healing with a single thought, and just as she was about to explain everything, she found herself tackled to the ground in a hug.

"You came!" Tatsuki cried into her ear. Next to them Rukia sagged in relief, falling back on her butt.

"Even Ishida's here," the Ryoka said with a smile. "We might actually win this."

Orihime hugged Tatsuki back with a big grin. "Ishida's buying us some time, right now. The second you're both healed we need to go out there and help him."

Tatsuki pried herself from Orihime. "Hey, I'm feeling better already," she said.

"Yeah," Rukia agreed, testing her damaged joints with a flex, "We can't leave him out there with that monster."

Orihime bit the inside of her cheek, here. Their "relief" probably had more to do with Shun Shun Rikka's numbing properties. That being said, they didn't have much time to waste, and Orihime could tell that some of their more major wounds were a little more "minor" already.

"Okay," she said, "but if anything happens try and get to me again. If you can get close enough, I should be able to raise another shield like this."

Both of them nodded resolutely at her, but just as she was about to lower the barrier Tatsuki exclaimed, "Wait!"

The butterflies wavered, confused.

"This may not be the best time, but…" Tatsuki gulped. "I'm sorry. I should have just gone with you in the first place, and I just wanted to say it now in case we don't…"

"We'll make it back," Rukia and Orihime said at the same time.

Rukia jumped, a little startled at this occurrence. Orihime blushed, but then their eyes met. They nodded and looked right back at Tatsuki with twin stern expressions.

The Lieutenant held her hands up in surrender. "Hey, not like I can argue against that."

Orihime let out a sigh, at least thankful that Tatsuki's few seconds of delay bought them some more healing.

"Are you ready?" Orihime asked. She had the empty hilt of her Shikai in her hands, raised to retrieve the butterflies.

"Ready!" Tatsuki had a fierce expression on her face.

"Ready," Rukia said, that stern yet calm look on her face, the one that Orihime had only seen one other time, right before the girl's fight with Tatsuki.

She hoped this fight would go better.

"Three…two…one!"

Orihime dropped the barrier reforming Shun Shun Rikka into a simple three-pointed barrier right in front of her. Tatsuki and Rukia rushed past her then, running straight toward the Captain Commander.

Taking a few steps back, plotting out the land, Orihime thought through her various Kidō spells. She could try directly attacking the Captain Commander (and wow was that not something she'd ever thought she'd say), but she doubted that would work very well. She'd better stick to entrapment spells, then.

Muttering a full incantation of the most powerful trap spell she knew she ran back towards where she last saw Ishida. With some trepidation she realized he was no longer firing any arrows.

Glancing back at the girls she registered something else with an equal amount of shock. They'd moved in closer to the Captain Commander, attacks more openly aggressive. When Rukia moved left, dodging a blow, Orihime realized why. His shoulder had been skewered through with a glowing arrow. Ishida had actually gotten him, and she could't help but be impressed. The two girls were focusing on that side, it seemed, Rukia struggling to get in another hit.

They may not have been winning yet, but they were giving the Captain Commander a run for his money.

Then, just as Tatsuki was redirecting another wave of flame, as Rukia had just finished launching another attack Orihime saw an opening to release her prepared spell. She fired.

The Captain Commander's eyes flickered toward her for a single moment and suddenly he had disappeared, and the spell hit a tree not far behind him. He reappeared when Tatsuki used Shunpo to stop him in his tracks as he moved towards Orihime, flames flaring around the both of them.

Silently thanking Tatsuki, Orihime ran forward to where she finally reached Ishida, and with relief realized that he was still standing.

He was hunched over, bow flickering in his right hand. She could see the burns that ran along his forearms, and after what looked like some intense concentration on his part, sweat beading at his brow, he fully materialized his bow again. It was then that he noticed her.

"I got him, he got me," he panted out. Then, as an afterthought added, "It's not as bad as it looks."

Without saying any more, he drew his bow and stared firing again, face pinched. Orihime resolved to stick close to him for the time being. She turned her attention back on the Captain Commander.

…

Rukia was closer to the Captain Commander than ever and there was no way in hell she was letting up now. In between all four of them he was having a hard time getting in a solid hit.

Then again, so was she.

Up until now Rukia had been nothing but happy about her powerset, but right about now she was starting to wish that Sode's thing was something like water instead of ice. She watched with a deep frown as yet another White Ripple was vaporized mid-air.

Looking to the side she could tell Tatsuki was doing no better. The girl looked completely overwhelmed, trying to keep so much flame at bay. She was visibly exhausted, face red and sweat dripping down her bangs only for it to dry instantly in the extreme heat.

Rukia did what she could and put more power into her attacks feeling herself growing frustrated, almost angry.

No, no, no, _nope!_ The last time she'd felt that way she was trapped in her own mind for what felt like hours with that _thing_. She doubted Sode would forgive her if she succumbed twice in just a single day.

(She didn't remember much of what happened in there, actually. There were just flashes of images, of emotions. There was a masked Sode taunting her. Rukia was paralyzed, terrified.)

She tried not to get stuck in those thoughts, knowing that they would consume her. She needed to stay calm as she attacked the Captain Commander yet again.

Going in for a simple strike on his bad shoulder, she laced in just enough Reiryoku to "cool him down" a bit. She swung in, getting closer than she ever dared, swearing that she almost touched him when a rope of flame came blazing right towards her face. She back peddled. It followed her.

Okay, maybe that move wasn't the smartest. Rukia ran back as it came after, but she wasn't able to go fast enough. She squeezed her eyes shut against the incoming attack.

It blew around her ears. She felt no pain. Rukia wasn't terribly surprised when she opened her eyes to see two of Orihime's "butterflies" hovering in front of her. They zipped away returning to their master.

"Thanks for the save!" Rukia yelled back, already going into formation once again. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Orihime smiling.

Rukia sent the next White Ripple from a much safer distance, pretty sure that there was no way in hell she was trying that last move again.

She looked at the wound on his shoulder and reconsidered.

"Orihime, cover me again!" Rukia yelled, the plan already formulating in her mind.

Rukia forced herself in closer, neutralizing a few of the weaker flames that came her way, dodging and jumping away from the more powerful ones. The latter became more and more common the closer she got and in her next step she found herself accosted by a large blast coming right toward her.

Orihime's shield did its job, taking the brunt of the blast, and when it lowered Rukia was right next to the man, his eyes widening as he looked down at her.

He swung his sword down, Tatsuki coming behind to meet the strike with her own. Rukia dove down at his feet, sliding along as she dug a long furrow into the ground next to him.

"White Tree!" she yelled out. Ice immediately started to creep up his feet at a rapid pace. "Ishida, now!"

For a split second the Captain Commander was completely unable to escape, unable to block. That was all it took for Ishida to release an arrow aimed right for his head.

The Captain pushed Tatsuki back, broke free one of his feet, but the arrow still grazed his head. He swayed for a moment, falling down onto one knee. In that time Orihime had him trapped in the orange glow of Shun Shun Rikka.

Rukia nearly collapsed at that. Suddenly everything was very quiet, the tension of the battle still handing in the air. Ishida and Orihime approached the other two wearily.

"You think we got him?" Tatsuki asked.

"I think so, at least for now," Orihime answered, hands clenched.

"I have yet to see something that can break through Inoue's barrier," Ishida said confidently.

 _No, not when she's at full strength, anyway._

Best not to say that out loud, though, Rukia thought. Orihime still visibly grimaced as if Rukia had.

"I need to stay here to keep him trapped," Orihime said suddenly. "You all need to go."

"No," Tatsuki said firmly, "We're not leaving you here. We'll figure something out."

"Figure what out?" Orihime asked, exasperated. "He's the Captain Commander."

"Exactly," Rukia said. "We leave you here and there's no way he's letting you live."

In the corner of her eye Rukia could see the flames starting to brew underneath the barrier. They had to figure this out, fast.

"I'd need to lower the barrier, and we can't ri…ri…" Orihime's voice was starting to sound strained. She was looking a little pale. Even through the barrier Rukia could feel the heat radiating from the man. "Just go!" Orihime yelled. She was gripping her head as if in pain. Rukia took another look at the barrier and took a cautious step back.

"Ishida," she rushed out, "maybe we should–"

 _BOOM!_

The loudest sound Rukia had ever heard pierced right though her ears. There was a heat so intense around her that she couldn't even think. Then, for a second, everything went black.

…

When Uryuu regained awareness, the first thing he realized was that he was coughing heavily. He was flat on his back staring up at a hazy sky and dear god he was aching in places that he didn't know could ache. He dragged himself up into a sitting position, and looking down at himself, he saw that he had no obvious injuries. All his limbs were intact. There were no (new) burns, and when he tried to summon his bow it came on his first try.

He looked over at the scene, quickly dying flames scattered about. Orikasa and Arisawa were right across from him, groaning quietly as they tried to drag themselves up to their feet.

More worryingly he saw the Captain Commander, free, and rising from the ground. Ishida knew he had only a few seconds to get up and fire again before the Captain had the chance to retaliate, but he hesitated anyway when he saw Inoue.

She was lying limp on the ground, back facing him, and he reached for her immediately, hand hovering over her shoulder for a moment. With hesitation he pushed her onto her back. She was breathing and whole but leaning over he could see a growing spot of blood on the side of her head that had been on the ground, soaking through her hair. Uryuu felt a growing cold pit in his stomach.

 _This was bad. This was beyond bad._

That, of course, was all it took for the Captain Commander to recover.

Arisawa moved at the last second to protect Orikasa, and from his position Uryuu fired his own arrow. The Captain Commander dodged easily, which didn't really surprise Uryuu much. That shot to the shoulder was a lucky hit, nothing more. The old man had simply underestimated him, and he wasn't doing that again any time soon.

Uryuu dodged a few pillars of flame sent his way, moving back. It was a bit like a dance, really. _Left, left, right, left, back,_ and _shit_ that last one was way to close!

He heard Orikasa cry out just as one of the flames made contact with her left arm and saw her pull back with a grimace, shifting her Zanpakuto into a one-armed grip. She visibly gritted her teeth in an expression that almost looked like a snarl.

(Whatever she'd been doing in the Soul Society since seen he'd last seen her must have been intense. He'd certainly never seen her _snarl_ before.)

He fired again and again, as many times as he could, and if he were a bragging man (and he was) that was quite a lot, and still none of them hit their mark. The man was too fast, and too good at just straight up deflecting Uryuu's arrows. It was almost insulting.

Uryuu then heard Arisawa yelling in pain, and before he could even figure out what had happened, she was flat on the ground clutching her stomach and screaming.

He didn't think he'd ever forget what she sounded like when she screamed like that.

She wasn't getting back up. He didn't have to be very close to realize that.

They were getting picked off, one by one. There was no more help coming, and they were all going to die, if not here, then days later, probably on this cliff in an execution. (Uryuu didn't think himself lucky enough to get rescued from a Soul Society prison for the _second_ time.)

Firing another arrow, he thought of what he could do, of what Orikasa _would_ do, and he just couldn't think of anything. All that registered was the glove on his right hand. That would do it, wouldn't it? That would turn the tide of the whole battle.

In his mind, Uryuu was screaming at himself for even goddamn considering it, for even thinking of throwing away all he worked for, the legacy of his grandfather, all for three Shinigami.

He looked at Orikasa, wounded and struggling, at Arisawa moaning in pain on the ground, at Inoue perfectly still and silent, and then at their opponent, biding his time in slowly killing them all. In that moment, Uryuu knew it was never really a question.

He deactivated his bow and before he could really think about it, he was ripping the Raidenhanto off his hand.

The rush was more amazing than words could really describe. (The fact that his stolen Shinigami uniform was being partially covered by traditional Quincy guards and armor was an added bonus.) He could feel the Reiatsu of every little plant and rock around him in acute detail. He realized that every little piece of that power was at his beck and call. He also realized that power would take some time to gather.

"Orikasa!" he yelled out.

"What?!" she yelled back ducking under another barrage of flame. She looked about as desperate as he felt.

"I need an opening. Can you do that for me?"

She glanced back at him, taking in his new strange garb, as well as the power radiating from him, probably. She looked deeply confused, but she still nodded saying, "I'll try!"

Uryuu gathered energy at his hand, then, paying the fight in front of him no mind. He disintegrated rocks, nearby bushes and brush, and even some of the stray flames beside him, anything that he could get his hands on. The terrain was more barren than he would have preferred, but it should be enough to make an arrow large and powerful enough to take down even this terrifying man. He just needed time.

…

Rukia had basically no idea what was going on. All she knew was that Ishida seemed to think he could do this, not that she knew what "this" was or why he'd kept it up his sleeve this long. She wasn't even sure how to make an opening here. Up until now that'd been _his_ job, but right now, he needed her to do this and goddammit she was going to come through for him.

She doubted trapping the Captain Commander like the last time would work again, but maybe she could try something, something that had a slim chance of working at all.

 _A chance was better than nothing._

"Ice-rope!" she called out right before she threw her sword like a goddamn javelin, a length of ice arching from her hand to the hilt of her blade. The sword impacted the ground right next to the man, him looking so utterly confused as to why _anyone_ would do that, probably. The confusion turned into surprise when she instantly froze the ground around him and kept on running to his other side, pulling the rope taught as she slid to the ground, making damn well sure that the rope touched his leg.

His entire leg was frozen within seconds, and though she could see him already try to thaw it out, she knew it was too late for him.

"Ishida, now!" she yelled out.

When Ishida's arrow fired it was as if a second explosion went off. The air buzzed with energy as it zipped to the Captain Commander faster than Ruukia could see. All she _could_ see was the intense power ringing through the air. The Captain couldn't dodge it, couldn't do anything against it, and it impacted. Rukia curled on the ground, her arms covering her head against the resulting blast.

After a long moment she looked up, prying her face from the ground. Hey, this time she wasn't dazed.

Her adrenaline was still thrumming through her veins as she saw the Captain Commander stumble on his feet, a barrier flickering in front of him. It hadn't seemed to do much for him, though.

His body was burned by the sheer energy, his eyes wide as he looked like he could pass out at any moment. The top of his kimono was burned away revealing a muscled, battle worn form.

Rukia brought her Zanpakuto back in to her hands quickly, realizing that dazed as he was, he hadn't dropped yet. She wasn't taking any chances. She was finishing this herself. She began running towards the man just as he started falling back, yelling out some unintelligible battle cry as she readied the final strike.

At the very last minute she was pushed back suddenly by a whirlwind in front of her. For a moment it blinded her, and then she looked up feeling utterly confused. She lowered her sword.

"Ichigo?" she asked in a quiet voice. He was standing right in front of her. She may have lost some time, but Rukia knew that he was supposed to be far away from here by now.

Instead, here he was at the top of the cliff with a dark-skinned Captain she had never seen before, one that was roughly holding him by his arm, dragging him away.

"Hey!" she yelled out, raising her sword again. Ishida was right with her, raising his bow at the man, though he hesitated. (Did he need more time to recharge? Could he not control these new arrows well enough? She wasn't entirely sure.)

The dark-skinned Captain didn't listen and didn't pay attention to any of their threats, in fact. He just walked by Rukia towards two Captains that she was sure weren't there before, two Captains that she didn't recognize.

She wasn't sure what to do, here, what she was up against. She doubted her and Ishida could win two against three, but maybe with the right attack strategy…

Then, one of the Captains, a brown-haired man with glasses smiled right at her.

(No, she rethought. He wasn't looking at her. He was looking through her in a way that sent a shiver down her spine. Who even were these guys?)

Ichigo seemed to know, as the very next thing out of his mouth was, "…Captain…Aizen…?"

Part III

 _"_ _Captains, Lieutenants, and Acting Lieutenants of the Gotei Thirteen…and…Ryoka. This is Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu of the Fourth Division speaking. Can everyone hear me? Please listen carefully. An emergency situation has occurred. This emergency transmission is under the authority of Captain Retsu Unohana of the Fourth Division as well as myself. Everything I'm about to say is the truth…"_

Part IV

Rukia had no idea how that transmission was being broadcasted, just that everyone else on the cliff seemed to hear it, clear as day. She didn't quite follow the whole thing, there were just too many names that she didn't recognize, but certain bits, she understood just fine.

Someone had used their invasion of the Soul Society as a cover to stage a coup, had murdered dozens to pull it off. That person was standing in front of them. That person had Ichigo bound with a Kidō spell and kneeling like a prisoner at his feet.

That alone would have sent Rukia to attack, but something about the look the Captain was giving her had her hesitating.

She knew he had heard the whole message, but he didn't seem distressed in the slightest by it. He was just smiling, looking at her like she was a particularly entertaining child as she silently threatened him with her brandished Zanpakuto. He looked completely non-threatening, even friendly, which is exactly what had her so weary.

Ishida moved closer to her during all this, seeming just as apprehensive. Maybe he wanted a closer shot, or maybe he just wanted to stay close in the face of danger. Rukia wasn't sure, but she was glad nonetheless for the comforting presence. (It made it a little easier to communicate any plans they might think of, anyway.)

(She had no plan.)

"I knew something strange was happening," Ishida finally said. "I was hoping it would end up being to our benefit, but it seems I was wrong."

"The early execution date," Rukia started, "the lack of a trial, even the murdered Captain, that was all you." She made sure to meet his gaze when she said that, as difficult as it was.

"We were already at the hideout!" Ichigo yelled breathlessly. "No one was supposed to know about that place so how the hell did you?"

Captain Aizen spoke then, voice smooth and pleasant, "I've known about that hideout for a long time. In fact, I've known about all of you for a long time." Rukia's eyes widened at that before she could stop herself. He chuckled in response. "I found your plight quite interesting, actually. Going to such lengths to rescue a friend. One would almost call it romantic. It's too bad, of course, that it was ultimately meaningless."

Rukia bristled at that, her fear pushed aside in favor of anger. She knew one thing, at least, now. She was wrong. He didn't view them as children. They were lab rats at best.

"Tōsen," the man said, "bring him closer, please."

The dark-skinned Captain, Tōsen, she supposed, brought Ichigo up to Aizen, dragging him up and close enough for the Captain to grab Ichigo's chin, forcing the Lieutenant to face him.

"Now, if you could please hold still…" His hand went back as if reaching for something. Maybe he was readying a Kidō of some sort, but whatever he was going to do, Rukia wasn't going to give him the chance. Shit odds or not, she'd seen enough. She charged in, readying a White Ripple.

…

The second Orikasa rushed in, Uryuu felt a pang of relief. If she hadn't gone in, then _he_ certainly would have. He didn't know what kinds of powers these Captains had, and he didn't want to find out. All he knew was that there seemed to be a clear leader, and that if he could take that man down, the threat was gone.

He didn't have time to charge these next arrows. So, he just fired them as quickly as he could make them. This was probably for the best considering how difficult to control that one he'd aimed at the Captain Commander ended up being. He didn't want to hit Orikasa or Shiba by accident, after all.

(He tried not to think about how he wouldn't get the chance to learn how to control these, that after this battle, that would be _it_.)

Orikasa went in, swiping at the Captain, and Uryuu stayed back, aiming wherever it seemed the Captain would be next. Uryuu was getting tired of these Shunpo'ing Captains, though. The way they always managed to stay just a half a step ahead pissed him off.

Aizen darted around the field, Orikasa following him, but Uryuu could tell she didn't have the skill, nor the stamina to keep up.

"Those arrows sure are something!" Captain Aizen called to Uryuu. "If one of those actually hits me, I might be in trouble."

God, everything about this Captain pissed Uryuu off. He started firing a little bit faster, just to spite the man.

"Gin!"

Uryuu's eyes snapped away from Aizen to–

 _Snikt!_

Uryuu stopped firing. Bow disappearing immediately. He tried to summon it back, to do something. (This wasn't supposed to happen, what was going on?) It was like his hands had just stopped working. He turned his head the rest of the way to see the fox like grin of Aizen's silver haired companion. He looked gleeful, his Zanpakuto extended unnaturally several meters until it met…Uryuu looked down.

The extended sword was buried deep in Uryuu's side, blood starting to stain the fresh white of the guards. He felt sick, looking at it, and a second later it was ripped free. He was falling before he even had the chance to process it all.

…

Rukia felt herself scream. She didn't hear it. Her ears were roaring with an anger deep in her as she saw Ishida fall to the ground. Tears were welling in her eyes as she pushed herself faster and harder than ever before. Sure, last time she'd done this she'd ended up trapped in her own mind, but then she was in Bankai and _these bastards needed to pay!_

She wasn't aiming, just hacking, trying to hit something, anything, and putting as much power, Spiritual and physical, behind every swipe that she could.

"I've always wanted to see your abilities in person," Aizen commented idly. Rukia payed him no mind. "I haven't gotten the chance to study a Substitute Shinigami in many years, especially one of your caliber." Was he really praising her, at a time like this? "I assume you've already achieved Bankai? I would have liked to see that."

She was considering showing it to him, right then, right there.

 _Wait…what?_

No, this was the worst possible time to summon her Bankai, to lose control. Rukia wasn't thinking clearly. She needed to calm down, to slow down.

So, she did. She slowed her attacks, tried to quell the mutinous thoughts in her head. She was wasting energy, wasting movements. Her swings were sloppy. She needed to be more precise, careful, and _there, an opening._

When he sidestepped, he twisted just so that he left his neck wide open. She swung for it, sending her Reiatsu charging through her blade.

"Hadō number Fifty-Four, Haien."

He grabbed the blade in mid-air with his bare hand before she could even get close. His palm was steaming. His arm was perfectly fine, even though it should have been frozen solid after grabbing Sode no Shirayuki bare handed like that.

"What the…" she whispered to herself.

"I'm surprised no one's tried this on you before," he said with a pleasant smile. "Then again, your Zanpakuto packs quite a punch. This may not have worked for anyone else."

He reached for his hip, still holding her Zanpakuto in place. She started tugging against the grip, trying desperately to get free, knowing that her blade should be cutting through his fingers like butter. It didn't budge.

She watched as he calmly unsheathed his Zanpakuto, and then, in a single slash, she found her own grip slackening. She fell right in front of him, pain radiating across her torso. With little care he dropped her Zanpakuto right next to her.

Rukia was still conscious when she fell, after she impacted the ground, and once she saw him start walking away. She could feel every inch of the wound he inflicted, too, how he had cut her across from collar to hip.

A part of her wanted to pass out it hurt so bad. Another more desperate part clung onto consciousness as it urged her body to get back up, to keep on fighting. If only her body would listen.

She forced her head up, unable to hold back whimpers. When she forced her self onto her elbows she felt a sharp pain that simply would not be ignored, one that forced her back down, flat on the ground. All she could do was watch helplessly as Aizen walked slowly back to Ichigo.

By now her friend was struggling, thrashing wildly against his bonds, trying to break the spell as hard as he could. The seals that held his arms behind him only tightened further. Tōsen who still had an iron grip on the back of his kimono shook him violently to try and get him to stop. It didn't work.

"You bastard!" Ichigo yelled, snarling. Aizen's smile quirked downwards ever so slightly.

An unbearable pressure suddenly overcame the entire clifftop, Rukia being pushed down on her face by the force, swearing that she could hear her own bones creak from all of it. She couldn't even get in enough air to scream. Then, as quickly as it had come, it lifted, and she found herself panting and gasping on the ground, tears escaping her eyes.

"You must feel so frustrated," Aizen commented. It took her a few seconds to realize that he was talking to her. "Your body giving up on you at such a time, how terrible."

Even his venomous words were enough to get her to start struggling upwards again. She managed to get to her elbows this time. She started pushing herself up further.

"With how deep your wounds are, you're probably going to die, Ryoka," Aizen said with a mock sympathy. "I wouldn't even be surprised if some of your insides were on the outside, now."

 _Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down._

Rukia made it up to one shaky hand, lifted the second one, levering herself up, and the moment it touched the ground it met something slick and warm, sliding out from under her. She fell back hard on her face, groaning.

"I am sorry about that, by the way," Aizen said. Rukia almost laughed out loud. "I must thank you for how helpful you've been this whole time. So, just lie down and die peacefully, okay?"

His expression is just out of Rukia's view, but she could imagine it. He hadn't dropped that creepy gentle smile off his face for the entire fight, nor that smug look in his eye. It made her grimace. She tore her mind away from that, just to ask him one question.

"Wh-what do you mean…by helpful?" she croaked. Straining her eyes, she dragged them upwards, just to meet his.

He makes an amused sound, like he was glad that she asked at all. "I knew that when Lieutenant Shiba was incarcerated that his dear Aunt would come to his rescue. I knew she'd send you lot through the canon, that you'd end up causing a huge scene, and that my plan would run much smoother as a result."

Rukia wasn't glad that she asked. Every word he said felt like a dagger in her back. This entire time she thought she was saving Ichigo. She felt like crying.

Instead, she stuttered out, "A-and since you were the o-one that-t set it up in the first place…it was j-just th-that easy, w-wasn't it?"

His smile grew even wider.

"You're much smarter than you look," he said. "Of course, getting him to the World of the Living was probably the hardest part of it all. Sending Hollows, enough to warrant the attention of a Lieutenant, is no easy task. Those creatures are a nightmare to work with."

So, what? That was it, then? They were just playing into his hands this whole time and now they were going to die?

"Then why kill him?" she asked desperately. Mustering all her strength, she yelled as loud as she could, "Why kill Ichigo?! Why not just finish your stupid coup and leave?" She sounded pathetic, even to her own ears, but something she said must have struck Aizen. He looked at her, then, genuinely confused for just a moment.

"You mean, after all this time, no one told you?"

She had no idea what he was talking about. Apparently, he could read that bit right on her face.

"That's fine…" he trailed off, seemingly irritated before putting on his usual smile. He turned away from Ichigo fully. (Ichigo had just gone limp, like he'd given up. She wanted to scream at him for even thinking of such a thing.) "Since it's all over, I'll tell you about it.

"The Shinigami have four basic forms of combat, Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō, all things you would have learned at the Academy. All of them are similar in that they each have a limit. No matter how Capable the Shinigami, one cannot overcome the limits of their Spiritual Body.

"But!" he exclaimed, holding up a finger, "a while ago, I couldn't help but wonder if there was a way to break this limit, if there was a way to grow past it somehow, and after all my years of study I found it: Shinigami-Hollow hybrids."

Rukia felt herself freeze. She hoped he wasn't referring to her, that he didn't have more of a hand in the last few months of her life than he already did.

"Hollow-Shinigami, Shinigami-Hollow, it doesn't really matter. When the boundary is removed, you can create a new existence capable of achieving new heights. To my surprise, though, I found that I wasn't the first to come up with this theory. I was, however, the first to truly act upon it.

"I focused on creating Shinigami-like Hollows for a while, and that was quite successful," he boasted. "I had made Hollows that could hide their Spiritual Pressure, Hollows that could make Zanpakuto disappear, and even," he looked right at Ichigo when he said this final one, "Hollows that could fuse with Shinigami."

Ichigo paled visibly at this. Aizen continued with a smirk.

"However," he said, looking back to Rukia, "I would never call any of those 'breakthroughs'. In fact, no one has ever made a breakthrough. No one except Captain Kisuke Urahara."

Yet another name that Rukia didn't recognize. Ichigo, however, looked at the man in shock.

With awe in his voice, Aizen continued, "He created a substance beyond conventional physics, one that can instantly dissolve the barrier between Hollow and Shinigami, the 'Hogyoku'."

He paused, as if to give the name the proper respect it deserved. All Rukia felt was dread.

"It's extremely dangerous," Aizen explained, "which is probably why he tried to destroy it time and time again, but he just couldn't find a way. So, in desperation, he tried a different approach. He put a barrier around the Hogyoku and buried it deep within the depths of a certain someone's soul."

 _No…it couldn't be._

"Have you figured it out, yet?" Aizen asked slyly. "The place where he chose to hide it was in you, Ichigo Shiba."

When he said this Rukia had to remind herself to keep breathing. Ichigo just set his eyes on Aizen, a hopeless look in them as he began to realize his fate. Rukia banged her fist on the ground, realizing hers was just to lie there and watch.

"I figured that out not long after you went missing in the World of the Living, after my plan had already begun to formulate. It was Urahara that made your Gigai. It was he that made it untraceable. Those made things quite difficult for me, but thankfully it had one last function, too. It drains the Reiryoku of the wearer, making their powers deteriorate until they're nothing more than a normal human Spirit."

Rukia had always thought Ichigo's lack of powers was her fault, like she had somehow taken too much. Knowing the truth didn't make her feel any better.

"Do you see now? The Gigai Kukaku gave you wasn't meant to save you."

She heard Ichigo let out a broken sob at that.

"It was meant to help Urahara clean up his little mistake. Fortunately, you were discovered only a few months later. I immediately went to the Central Forty-Six Chambers and–"

Aizen stopped himself then. His smile dropped, and just behind him Rukia could see the silhouette of what must have been a giant behind him. The giant wore a Captain's Haori, was holding a Zanpakuto above his head, and had what appeared to be the head of a wolf. He swung his sword down.

"AIZEN!"

When the sword impacted it was a true impact. The rock ground around it cracked and crumbled as a wind picked up from the arc of the path, kicking up dust and blinding Rukia. She squinted against the onslaught, unable to do much else except wait for her vision to clear. Hope swelled in her heart.

When her vision finally cleared, she cursed that hope. Aizen was still standing there, dust settling around him. He was holding the sword above him by the blade with just a single hand.

"I see that you're not wearing your mask, Komamura. Did you have a change of heart?" he asked simply.

"How can you just stand there calmly when you…" Captain Komamura trailed off, practically shaking with rage. He attacked again with a heavy strike. This one, Aizen dodged handily and it swung wide. The large Captain was not deterred.

Komamura yelled, righteous rage in his voice, "For all your lies and betrayal, I will give you no mercy!" He jerked his head to the right then, looking to Tōsen. "And you! Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Neither Aizen nor Tōsen respondede. They judst stay silent, Aizen looking rather satisfied as Tōsen remained carefully blank. Aizen began approaching Komamura then, not that the larger Captain seemed to notice. The wolf-man's eyes just stayed focused on the space right next to Tōsen, much to Rukia's confusion.

"Nothing," Komamura scoffed. "Nothing at all." A frown tugged at his black lips when he said, "How disappointing." He drew himself back into a wide stance before yelling, "Bankai!"

Aizen was right in front of him. He was right in front of Komamura and the larger Captain didn't even seem to notice. Aizen noticed Rukia, though. He looked down at her, gave her a wink, and then suddenly, as if woken from a dream, Komamura startled, realized Aizen was right in front of him, and his Bankai failed to summon.

"Hadō number Ninety," Aizen says calmly, "Kurohitsugi."

Komamura was immediately trapped, encased by a cube made of a pulsating black energy. Rukia felt her heart drop as the seconds dragged on. He had to have survived. He was their only hope.

The cube dissipated after five long seconds, and the second it did and Captain Komamura appeared, he fell to his knees, bloodied and battered from wounds that Rukia couldn't see.

Without so much as batting an eyelash Aizen turned to Rukia. "My Zanpakuto, Kyōka Suigetsu, has flawless hypnosis," he explained. "Even if the target is aware of its ability, they cannot resist its influence."

The silver haired Captain, the bastard that stabbed Ishida whistled appreciatively before saying, "You skipped the incantation for a Ninetieth level Kidō?" He snickered. "How terrifying! Since when could you do that?"

Shaking his head Aizen said, as if disappointed, "No, the spell failed. It's power barely reached a third of its full potential."

Gin stroked his chin, contemplating. "I see, so spells in the Nineties are more difficult to handle, after all."

With that, Aizen approached Ichigo again, unhindered. Rukia cursed under her breath. No more help was coming, was it?

"My apologies," Aizen said, as if he wasn't going to kill someone. "So, Ichigo Shiba," he continued. "When I found you in the World of the Living, the first thing I did was assassinate the entirety of Central Forty-Six." He tapped his chin, staring up at the sky. "I believe Miss Isane said this: 'Sōsuke Aizen faked his death so he could move in secrecy, and then he murdered the Central Forty-Six Chambers.' See, _that_ was technically incorrect.

"I _actually_ butchered them the moment I found you and used an illusion to make it seem like they were all alive and well. After that, between the three of us," he gestured to his two companions, "it was quite easy to impersonate them and give out orders that would help us achieve our goals."

Rukia was too tired to be amazed at Aizen's barbarism. Shit, the blood loss was getting to her. She was amazed she'd held out this long.

"To ensure your capture, I assigned your father, Captain Shiba to retrieve you. To keep Urahara from succeeding, I ordered the Gigai to be destroyed, and to make sure your Soul was completely destroyed so I could retrieve the Hogyoku, I ordered you to be executed here. I've actually spent almost all my time there since my…" he chuckled at the next word, "death. Or course, just in case your little group caused the execution to fail, I needed to know that there was another way to retrieve the Hogyoku. Central Forty-Six's detailed historical records helped plenty there."

Just as he finished his statement he began fishing through his robes, pulling out a strange looking tube from within.

"Naturally, Urahara's research materials were all there, and he went into great depth about implanting foreign objects into a Spirit…"

He trailed off, pressing a button on the tube that Rukia couldn't see, and his hand morphed right before her eyes. It not only changed shape, the finger tips turning into knife-like claws, but it even seemed to change material, skin changing into what Rukia swore was wood.

"…as well as extracting them."

He plunged that new hand through Ichigo's chest.

Rukia's mind stuttered to a halt. Ichigo dropped from Tōsen's grasp, and suddenly Rukia wasn't even sure what she was looking at anymore. He wasn't moving. Above him Aizen held up a tiny crystal, the size of a rubber ball from a toy vending machine.

There was no blood, though, and within seconds Ichigo was stirring again. Her mind started working again.

"So, this is the Hogyoku," Aizen said, an appraising look on his face. "It's awfully small." Then he glanced back at Ichigo, noticing the boy dragging himself onto his hands and knees. "You're unharmed?" he asked, surprised. "What an incredibly technique. It's unfortunate that you're no longer of any use to me, though."

Aizen dragged Ichigo by the collar, the Lieutenant struggling weakly, hands scratching uselessly against the Captain's arm.

"Gin, kill him."

"Well, if it can't be helped." As he said this, he unsheathed his Zanpakuto. It was shorter than average, but Rukia knew exactly what he could do with it. "Shoot to kill, Shinsō."

Rukia's legs were numb. She couldn't even feel them anymore. Her arms were going cold, too. _What was all that training for, if she couldn't even do this?_

She watched, feeling despair as the fox-faced Captain attacked, but just before he could make contact, a figure blurred by. Ichigo was snatched right from Aizen's hands and Gin's Zanpakuto missed Ichigo, burying itself into someone else entirely.

Captain Shiba was standing there, holding his son the best he could with only one arm, the other busy keeping the sword buried in his side from burrowing any further. He looked pale, was still obviously injured in other places, but in his face Rukia could see nothing but determination.

Retracting his blade with a _tsk_ , Gin looked disappointed.

Shiba stumbled back when the sword tore free, and that seemed to be enough to knock Ichigo from his stupor. He caught his father before he could even hit the ground, laying him down gently. Shiba gave his son as reassuring of a smile as he could, and Ichigo returned it, right before turning to Aizen and giving him the most hate-filled glare imaginable, even as Aizen begun to approach him, a hand on his own Zanpakuto.

Before Aizen could even draw his sword, he was interrupted.

"Don't move." The voice sent a rush of happiness through Rukia. If she were strong enough, she may have even called the woman's name, _Yoruichi_. Her hand was holding down Aizen's sword arm, a cloth length wrapped around the sheath and hilt to keep it from being drawn.

"If you move even one muscle, you'll lose your head." A small female Captain that Rukia had never seen was holding her own Zanpakuto to Aizen's throat.

More unfamiliar faces came after that as an orange-haired Lieutenant cornered an amused looking Gin by holding her own Zanpakuto to his throat. A tattoo covered Lieutenant was cornering Tōsen similarly.

"This is the end, Aizen," Yoruichi said with a scowl. "You're surrounded."

Aizen smirked in response.

More Lieutenants and Captains that Rukia didn't recognize continue to fill the area, then, and she can't help but think they all sound like they're underwater for some reason. (Or maybe she was underwater?)

 _I've lost too much blood._

As Rukia's vision started to go in and out, bizarre things started to happen, bizarre enough that she wasn't sure if she imagined some of it or not.

Aizen and his two companions are swept up by rays of light. (Definitely a dream.)

Menos Grande start filling the sky. People are panicking, screaming. (A nightmare.)

"…Negation!..." (…What?…)

"Tōsen!" (She was sure that was Komamura.)

The final words are the ones that she remembered most clearly. She heard them, just as everything went dark.

"Young Ryoka, you really are interesting."

* * *

 **Why did I keep Aizen as the bad guy? Mostly just because it's a roll he fits well in, and more than anything I needed Urahara firmly in the "good guy" camp for various backstory and plot reasons that probably won't become apparent until the next arc, though you will get a taste before the end of this one.**

 **Speaking of that! Holy hell! We only have two chapters after this one, an aftermath chapter and then a final interlude. Then we get to discuss some not so fun stuff like Hiatuses…**

 **(Fun fact this Chapter has more paraphrased quotes from the manga than literally any other before it. It still took forever to write.)**


	29. XXIX

**Here it is, the final chapter of this arc! The next one is an interlude, so hopefully this absolute monster of a chapter manages to answer all of your questions. If not, feel free to ask them in the comments.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Part I

Ichigo couldn't remember the last time he'd seen this many panicked Shinigami in a single place. Maybe it happened before he was officially one himself, he really couldn't be sure, but here he found himself witnessing this kneeling on the ground with his father limp in his arms.

When a medic came to take the man away, all he could do was nod numbly. When he saw them scrambling about to pick up the wounded, Ryoka included, all he could do was stare.

 _Captain Komamura…_

 _Captain Commander Yamamoto…_

 _Uryuu…_

 _Orihime…_

 _Tatsuki…_

 _Rukia_

So many were wounded, dying even, because of him.

 _No, not because of me. I know exactly who did this._

So lost in his own thoughts, it took Ichigo a second to realize someone was trying to get his attention.

"E-excuse me…Lieutenant Shiba, sir?" A shy looking Fourth Division member had his hand stretched out to Ichigo, as if to tap him on the shoulder.

"…Sorry," Ichigo said, shaking head. "What were you saying?"

The officer, Hantarō Yamada, Third Seat, if Ichigo remembered correctly, repeated what he had said. "Well, your father…um, Captain Shiba, we're treating him at the moment, and he's asked to see you."

This grabbed Ichigo's attention immediately. Without a second to lose he picked himself off the ground, standing to his full height as he demanded, "Take me to him."

He was led through a sort of organized chaos walking past stretchers as well as Captains speaking together in hushed tones. He was finally brought to where his father was lying down, two medics kneeling next to him, a healing light emanating from their hands. His old man didn't look good, that was certain, but Ichigo was still pretty sure it took more than that to kill ol' goat face.

"Captain Shiba," Hantarō said softly, "your…err, Lieutenant Shiba is here."

At those words Isshin shifted ever so slightly, and Ichigo let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. Ichigo kneeled next to him immediately and watched in relief as one of his dad's eyes cracked open.

"Yeah, dad," he said a little breathlessly, "I'm here."

Isshin let out a low croaking laugh. "'Dad'? I can't even remember the last time you've called me that."

Ichigo cracked a smile. "Don't get used to it, old man."

" _Tsk_ , that's more like it."

A warm feeling built up in Ichigo's chest as his father said this. As long as they were on the subject of reminiscing, gods, when was the last time he and his dad just _talked_? His smile dropped as he realized just how sad that really was.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo."

The Lieutenant's brow furrowed in confusion. "Sorry? For what? You almost got yourself killed, just to save me."

"Only in the end." His father's voice had a miserable tinge to it.

Whatever argument Ichigo had brewing in his head, he decided not to say it.

Isshin continued, "I should have been doing it from the beginning. I'm your father. Hell, I should have been working harder than _anyone else_ to get you back, and I definitely should have known that Aizen was up to something like this."

"As if that's fair," Ichigo finally scoffed. "No one knew what that bastard was up to."

Isshin broke his gaze saying, "Yeah, I guess no one did, not really."

 _Not really?_

Those words had Ichigo pausing. He would have asked what his father meant right then and there, but he remembered where he was, that there were a couple dozen ears around him probably looking to glean whatever they could from this mess. The time to ask would come later, preferably with Urahara there, as well.

"You _were_ working," Ichigo said instead. "You probably sent at least a hundred appeals to Central Forty-Six. You just didn't know they were already dead."

"But it still wasn't enough. I never do enough."

Ichigo frowned. "I'm here now," he insisted. "I'm still alive. That proves it was enough."

"Yeah…" Isshin trailed off. He was staring into space now, like he was lost in thought, and Ichigo had a solid hunch that whatever he might say to the man wouldn't really be heard.

So, Ichigo decided to just sit there on the ground and watch the healing, silent and watching, brushing off anyone who tried to take him away to get checked over. He felt fine. Right now, this was where he belonged.

Part II

She was staring at _white._ That was the first thing Rukia realized as she slowly dragged her eyes open. There were white walls, a white ceiling. Where on earth was she?

The second thing she realized that her mouth was about as dry as could be, like someone had replaced her tongue with a wad of cotton. It took her a minute to fully rouse, but once she did, she quickly realized she wasn't alone.

"Seriously?" a hushed voice sounded. "You guys took down the Captain Commander? Damn it! Why couldn't I have been there…"

"Trust me, you're lucky you weren't," a tired voice responded.

"Shh! Guys!" a deep voice urged. "I think she's awake!"

Rukia's plain view of the ceiling suddenly became much less plain as Ganju and Renji crowded over her, blinking owlishly at her. Rukia stared blankly back up at them.

"…Help me up?" she eventually croaked out.

Renji swept in immediately, a steadying hand at her back as he dragged her up into a sitting position, sheets tangling at her waist. "You doing okay?" he asked.

She experimentally poked at her own stomach, surprised to find herself in no pain whatsoever. "I thi–"

She cut herself off with a hacking cough.

"Oh, shit!" Renji exclaimed, scrambling for something just out of view. He came back with a filled glass of water and held it out to her. "Uh…here."

She took it gratefully, starting off with a tentative sip that soon turned into greedy gulps. The whole glass ended up being emptied in about a second. She considered asking for another one.

"Thanks, I needed that," she said, wiping the excess off her lips. "I was going to say I'm feeling pretty good, considering. How long was I out?"

"About a day," Renji said with a crooked smile. "You sure gotta give it to these Shinigami. Their healing's amazing."

"That might be underselling it," Rukia grumbled, Orihime's shield firmly in her mind. Then, sitting up straighter, Rukia remembered someone else that needed plenty of healing. "Where's Ishida?" she asked.

"Ishida's right here," the Quincy said sarcastically. He was sitting on his own bed just past Renji a meter away. He looked exhausted, but if he had the energy to be snarky already, he couldn't have been that bad. Before Rukia had the chance to say something sarcastic back, someone knocked quietly at the door.

"Hello?" a sweet voice called. The door opened slowly.

In walked Orihime, several bundles of fabric stacked in her arms, a bandage wrapped around her head. Rukia couldn't help but smile, and the moment Orihime met Rukia's eyes, she was smiling back.

"Rukia, you're awake!" she cried, dropping the fabric at the foot of the bed. She hurried over to Rukia's side, gently nudging Renji away.

"Yeah," Rukia answered, feeling just a little awkward. "I see you're alright."

"Mm-hmm!" she sounded with an enthusiastic nod. She pointed to her bandage. "No need to worry about me. I've got a hard head. I went back to work hours ago. Now, let me have a look at you."

Rukia tried not to squirm through the examination as she had her pulse checked, her breathing checked, and all sorts of other things monitored that she wasn't sure about through various methods and the occasional muttered spell. It was over in a few short minutes, luckily.

"It looks like your doing good," Orihime said, patting Rukia on the knee. "You may even be up for a bit of walking around."

"That's good to hear," Rukia said with relief.

" _But!_ " Orihime added with a stern expression. "You can't strain yourself. No running, no Hohō, and you're going to be back here by sundown for another checkup. That includes you Ishida!"

Rukia heard the Quincy grumble to himself quietly at that. Rukia had to choke down her own laugh at the response.

"I will," Rukia assured. This made Orihime's smile return.

"Good!" she said. "And since _no one_ likes walking around in hospital scrubs, I've brought these." She reached down to grab from the top of the pile, showing off a lively patterned cotton fabric.

Orihime separated the pile to reveal sets of Yukata and Obi belts. Rukia probably would have preferred regular clothes, but hey, beggars can't be choosers. Orihime placed one of the sets in Rukia's lap, a light blue floral Yukata with a soft yellow belt. She hoped dearly that she remembered how to tie these.

"Okay, let's get you up and dressed," Orihime said cheerfully. Shooing the boys to the other side of the room entirely with their own sets. She shut the curtain between them.

As it turned out, no, Rukia did not remember how to tie an Obi, but Orihime was more than willing to help. Rukia had to say that the girl had pretty good taste, too. The set looked rather cute. She even provided matching sandals. ( _And_ showed her how to hook her Zanpakuto into the wide belt.) By the time Rukia was fully dressed and out the door, the others had already left.

"We'll just meet them outside," Orihime said easily.

The two walked through the infirmary towards the exit. It looked busy there, not that Rukia had a proper frame of reference. People were bustling around, often carrying various charts and carting along machines. The two got a few stares here and there, but much to Rukia's surprise, nothing more than that. It was then that she realized just how weird this whole scenario really was.

"Hey," Rukia started. Orihime glanced over her shoulder at the girl. "Why aren't we prisoners."

"I was wondering that myself not too long ago," Orihime admitted with a wry grin, "but after all that happened with Capt–" she corrected herself, "Sōsuke Aizen, the Captain Commander decided we have bigger things to worry about. Apparently one of the first things he did after waking up was pardon all of us."

Rukia's eyes widened. "Seriously? He does realize we tried to kill him, right?"

Orihime nodded furiously. "That's exactly what I said! According to Captain Unohana, and I quote, his exact words were," she said the next words with a rough approximation of a grumbly old man voice, "'As if those were the first youngsters to try and send me to my grave.' Amazing, huh?"

"That's more than amazing…"

It was then that they reached the entrance, the other three standing outside as promised, fully dressed. Ganju was wearing a green plaid Yukata with a black belt. Ishida was in a white and navy-blue checkered Yukata, red belt. Renji was in a striped burgundy Yukata, white belt.

(Rukia had never actually seen Renji in a Yukata or Kimono before. It suited him.)

"Hey," Rukia said with a wave, stepping over the threshold.

"Yo!" he said with a grin.

"Well, don't you all look nice," Orihime complimented. "Since we're all officially pardoned, I was thinking I'd show you around. This is my Division, after all, and the Soul Society is much nicer when you don't have to sneak. At least I think it is."

"Sounds good to me," Renji said, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

"Yeah," Ganju agreed. "Just about every member of my family works here, but I've barely seen the place."

"I'm alright with that," Rukia added.

It took a second or two, but Ishida finally said, "I guess that'd be fine."

Renji snickered. "You know you can drop the whole 'lone wolf' act, right. No one's buying it anymore."

Ishida rolled his eyes. "What do you want me to say?" He put on a fake silly smile and exclaimed, "'Oh boy, I sure want to see the Soul Society!'" The smile dropped into something deeply annoyed. "I said it was fine."

Rukia knew she had to stop this before they all ended up standing there watching these two argue until the sun went down. "Don't worry Ishida," she said as calmly as possible. "We all know what you meant."

"Thank you," he said, arms crossed. Then, his face snapped into a scowl. "Hey!"

Choking on a laugh, Orihime _actually_ stopped this from going any further.

"I think now might be a good time to start the tour," she sniggered out. She took a brief moment to compose herself, but Rukia could still see her lips twitch.

She began, "The building you've all just walked out of is what most would call the heart and soul of the Fourth Division. The Gotei Thirteen may be a combat organization, but we do much more than just fight. As you've all probably figured out, my Division specializes in healing, and our Captain, Retsu Unohana, probably spends more time here than she does her own office. Now, all these buildings around you…"

Rukia listened carefully to Orihime's explanations on the various barracks and supply halls, taking in every detail. It wasn't every day that you got to explore another world, and Rukia wasn't going to waste a single minute of it.

What struck her most was the efficiency at which everything and everyone moved. She remembered seeing the Soul Society as rather cold and clinical when she first arrived, but here in this densely populated area, watching people walk this way and that to their various jobs, talking, eating, or just trying to catch a minute or two of breath, she didn't think that way at all.

It definitely helped that Orihime just had so much to say on every little detail. She never ran out of things to mention about how this place and its members functioned, having random anecdotes to throw in every once in a while about a specific building, or even specific person. She was deep in some story about her very first trainee when the group was interrupted.

"Hey, just the people I was looking for." In front of them stood a grinning Tatsuki, a few bandages peaking out above her collar being the only sign she was ever hurt at all.

(Rukia remembered her screams very well, too well. It was good to see her looking healthy.)

Flanking Tatsuki was a Captain, and if Komamura was the largest Captain Rukia had ever seen, the one in front of her was definitely the smallest. He barely even came up to Tatsuki's chest. The Captain had white hair and a stern expression that looked just a little odd on someone that seemed like they could be in middle school. It was a face that also looked strangely familiar.

She realized she was staring just a little too long when the Captain sent a glare her way. She looked away as quickly as she could, just as Orihime was bowing deeply to the boy, addressing him properly.

Tatsuki continued, "Captain Urahara says he wants see you guys. I'd take you there myself, but…"

" _But_ , you were supposed to report to the infirmary over an hour ago for another checkup," Orihime said with a rather scary looking smile.

"I apologize for that," Captain Hitsugaya answered. (He even sounded like a middle schooler!) "Work in our Division has piled up lately. I came to escort her personally, as well as to see…Captain Shiba and Momo."

"You should be able to see Lieutenant Hinamori just fine," Orihime started, "but I'm sorry to say that only family is allowed to see Captain Shiba at the moment."

The boy looked crestfallen at that, gazing at the ground.

"Then he'll definitely be let in!" Tatsuki said confidently. "Honorary Shibas, remember?"

"Tch, no way they'd keep you out!" Ganju assured.

"See, nothing to worry about." Tatsuki nudged the Captain on the shoulder with a grin, something that he didn't seem to like judging by the look he gave her. It didn't deter her, though.

At the very least he seemed a little happier.

"I'll make sure to catch you later, 'Hime," Tatsuki said, heading back in the direction of the infirmary again. "And Urahara…"

"I'll take them there. We're pretty close, anyway."

"Thanks." Tatsuki gave her a "thumbs-up", and with that she and her Captain left.

Using her tour guide voice Orihime said with a smile, "Captain Tōshiro Hitsugaya is the youngest Captain the Soul Society's ever had, actually! He was only one hundred years old when he was given his rank a little under twenty years ago."

 _He's how old?!_

Rukia had almost forgotten how weird aging was in the Soul Society. She wondered how old that would make someone like the Captain Commander, then.

"Now, let's take our little tour over to the Twelfth Division."

Orihime wasn't wrong. The Twelfth Division wasn't very far from the Fourth. (No, Rukia didn't understand the layout, either.) A couple minutes of walking and one sign post later and suddenly Shinigami carrying med packs were traded in for Shinigami in what appeared to be their equivalent of a lab coat. Orihime would go on to explain that while the Fourth Division was the "Medical" Division, the Twelfth was the "Science" Division. In retrospect it made sense that the man that made something as strange as the Hogyoku was the Captain of such a group.

 _The Hogyoku_

Rukia hadn't thought of that little thing since before waking up. Someone had made that horrible crystal, and someone else had thought it desirable enough to kill over. They had already met the latter. It was time to meet the former.

Needless to say, she was nervous.

"Hey." Rukia jumped.

"A little stressed out, huh?" Renji said with a nervous smile. Rukia fell back next to them, frowning.

"I'm that obvious, huh?" she asked with a grimace.

"A little, yeah."

Normally that kind of response would have made Rukia crack a smile, but now, it only made her frown grow deeper. Renji scratched the back of his neck, looking completely out of his element.

"While you were out cold," he started, "Yoruichi stopped by. She didn't say much, just that this 'Urahara' guy would want to see us and that we should trust him. I mean, I'm not really sure if I want to, not after everything I've heard about him, but if Yoruichi thinks we should…"

Rukia's mouth quirked upwards. She felt herself relax.

"You just made that up, didn't you?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

Renji's eyes widened right before he looked away.

"You can't prove that," he grumbled. Rukia smiled wider.

"You always know what to say, don't you?"

She saw Renji''s shoulders relax a bit at that, and swore she could see him blushing, though his face was turned away. She tried to move around him, just to get a better look, but he only turned further. She quickly gave up, shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Here we are!" Orihime announced. "The Twelfth Division Headquarters. Fun fact, they also double as their main labs, with the Captain's personal laboratory being right here."

The Shinigami walked them all through the large double doors that made the entrance. The first thing Rukia noticed, aside from the sprawling labs before them, was the receptionist counter blocking them all off from it with surprisingly modern looking barrier turnstiles attached to it. Behind the counter sat what looked like a ten-year-old girl in a Shinigami uniform.

The girl had black hair done up in pigtails, though her bangs still seemed to get in her eyes as she brushed them away every so often to better see the book she was delicately flipping through on the desk. She looked up at them the second they were all in, a shy look on her face as she shifted on the stool, eyes going over every single one of them. She settled on Orihime.

"Miss Inoue," she said in a quiet voice, closing her book. "I didn't think you'd be here so soon."

"We were already up and about when Tatsuki found us," Orihime explained. "We decided to just head straight here. I hope that wasn't a problem…"

"No, no, it's fine," the girl said, hoping down from her stool. "Urahara isn't busy right now, anyway." She typed a few keys in to something that Rukia could't quite see, and suddenly the barrier was open. "Please come right in."

Crossing the barrier Rukia took in everything from the girl's rosy cheeks to the little pink straps on her wooden sandals. She was really quite adorable.

"I could take you to the Captain…if you'd like," the girl said, eyes shyly on the ground.

"That'd be wonderful, Ururu," Orihime said with a gentle smile.

The little girl nodded, and with a gesture of her hand said, "Please follow me."

Orihime turned back to the group briefly, saying, "This girl's name is Ururu Tsumugiya. She's one of Captain Urahara's experiments, and the main entrance's guard. I wouldn't recommend trying to sneak in while she's around."

 _Well, that not ominous._

Ururu lead them through the labs, Rukia finally getting a good look at the interior, and she really did have to say, it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.

Yes, a few of the Shinigami were a little strange looking, but most of what she saw was just chemistry equipment. There were a few machines she didn't recognize, but just as many that she did. As it turned out, the turnstile wasn't the only modern thing this place had. Something about that was quite refreshing, in fact.

They're led ever deeper, and things get a little stranger from then on. There was a machine manufacturing what looked like Soul Candy, a large tank with an unnervingly human looking Gigai, and plenty of stuff that left her unsure of what she was even looking at. They walked past all that to reach a section of the lab that seemed sequestered away from all of that.

It was an area of the building were machines were lined edge to edge, wrapping around and head towards a computer that reached the ceiling. Crouched in front of it was a scruffy looking blonde man in a Captain's Haori that didn't seem to notice them.

The red-haired boy (that looked just a little younger than Ururu and was also in a Shinigami uniform) who was sitting on the counter, kicking his feet as his fingers rapidly pressed the buttons on a Gameboy (wow, Rukia _really_ didn't think she'd see one of those here) did notice them. He nudged the Captain in the side with his foot.

"Urahara," the boy grumbled. "People are here."

The blonde man sat up straight, glancing at the boy and then over his shoulder, eyes obscured by goggles. Standing up, he took them off and placed them on the counter, facing them.

Kisuke Urahara was a shockingly normal looking man. He looked maybe a few years older than Byakuya, though he had a much more laid-back look about him. He had stubble on his face, and his sandy blonde hair fell into his eyes. He leaned casually against the desk behind him. He wasn't at all what Rukia had imagined.

"Ah, sorry about that," he said with a grin, brushing the hair out of his eyes. "I can get a little wrapped up, you know. It's great to finally meet all of you."

Rukia frowned at this. She didn't think there were any Captains that were "happy to meet them".

"So," he continued, finger pointing at them one at a time. "You must be Uryuu Ishida, the Quincy." He was right. "You're Renji Abarai." Right again. "I already know you, Ganju." Ganju grinned in response. "And that would make you," he looked at Rukia then, eyes curious, "Rukia Orikasa."

Rukia frowned. It was generally seen as rude to not let someone introduce themselves. Then there was that emphasis on her. She found that somewhat unsettling.

"If you haven't guessed already," he continued, "I was your contact."

Rukia eyes widened. Okay, she hadn't quite seen that one coming. (Though perhaps she should have.)

"I know, I know, I've got a lot of explaining to do."

 _You bet your ass you do._

Judging by the look the Captain gave her, how he averted his eyes guiltily, that sentiment was plain on her face. The easy smile he'd been holding dropped.

"You should probably sit down. This may take a while."

Part III

Honestly, Uryuu found the labs unsettling.

No, he hadn't noticed anything heinous in the tanks. None of the machines set off any "mad scientist" alarms in his head. He just remembered the stories he'd heard when he was younger.

Though his grandfather would hesitate to say such things around a young Uryuu, Uryuu's _father_ had no qualms with it. _He_ told Uryuu plenty about the dozens of Quincy carted off to these labs many years ago. Now, Uryuu had no idea if the Shinigami standing in front of him had anything to do with those, and while he wasn't eager to trust the man, he was at least willing to hear him out.

Brushing a hand through his hair and looking incredibly unsure as to whether he even wanted to be here, Captain Urahara began speaking.

"A lot of what you've already heard about me is true. I made the Hogyoku a little over a hundred years ago out of some morbid curiosity. I quickly figured out what it could do, so I decided to lock it away in this lab under the toughest security possible. This was probably where I made my first mistake."

"Your first mistake was…. hiding it?" Orikasa asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

Urahara shook his head. "Making it," he corrected, "and it didn't take Aizen too long to realize what I had done. He'd requested to see it and study it for himself numerous times, and I always rejected him. It was around then that I started realizing our sweet and likable Captain wasn't quite what he seemed."

"Tch, I'd hardly call that man sweet," Uryuu scoffed.

Urahara let out a chuckle. "No, I suppose you wouldn't, not with the first impression you kids got."

With a grimace Inoue said, "The Aizen we knew was always nice. He was the kind of person that you could always approach if you had a problem and the very last person you'd expect to do something like…this."

"No one saw his betrayal coming," Urahara confirmed with a mirthless smile, "save for a few, but we were special cases, all people that he'd managed to cross long before his 'official' betrayal. You know most of them: Yoruichi, Tensai, Kukaku, Isshin, and _me_.

"Of course, now, everyone knows, and you can bet with everyone involved, no matter what happens, things are bound to get interesting real soon."

 _Everyone involved… but me._

The thought left a cold pit in Uryuu's stomach.

"Sir," Orihime started, "I understand us Shinigami working to stop Aizen, but the humans have done enough. They should be going back to their old lives, not fighting to fix…our mess."

For a couple of seconds Urahara didn't answer, seeming to genuinely consider it. "Abarai and Ishida could probably do that no problem. You too, Ganju, but Orikasa? I'm not so sure."

Orikasa paled slightly at this; her fists clenched. She kept her eyes firmly on the ground. For some reason, though, she didn't look surprised.

The Captain explained himself, his eyes firmly on Uryuu's classmate. "The Hogkyoku erases the barrier between Shinigami and Hollow, and from what I understand, Orikasa, it's done just that with you. I expect Aizen to be very interested in you for the foreseeable future."

Orikasa didn't raise her head, and her expression tightened as she processed the news. Whatever look Urahara was giving her at that time, Uryuu couldn't read it.

"Well," the Captain said suddenly, clearing his throat, "that's really all I have to say, and I doubt you want to be cooped up in some stuffy old lab all day just listening to me talk." Sitting back down in his chair, he made a shooing gesture giving them all an easy smile. "Go, be young, enjoy yourselves!"

Uryuu took that as a cue to stand up from his chair, and the second he did he realized just how exhausted he felt, mentally _and_ physically. This was way too much to take in and judging by the pained expressions on the others' faces, they all felt the same.

Just as Ururu was about to lead them out, hand tugging on one of her pigtails as she eyed the path they had just came from, Orikasa stood up straight and bowed to the man.

"Thank you," she said. "You helped us in ways we probably don't even know. For that, we're grateful."

"Ah, I didn't do as much as you think," Urahara insisted looking even more uncomfortable than before.

Orikasa just kept her head low. After about a second Inoue followed, and then Abarai, and then Ganju. With much hesitation, so did Uryuu.

(One bow wouldn't hurt, and Orikasa did have a point there. Besides, he'd probably never see this man again.)

They were escorted out the same way they came in, Inoue trying (and failing) to keep the same enthusiasm in her tour. Uryuu lagged behind.

Part IV

As the group made slow progress back to the infirmary, Rukia's mind drifted. No, she wasn't naïve enough to think that this whole ordeal with Aizen was anywhere near over, but she'd also thought that she'd be able to go after him should the need arise. Now, she knew it was likely going to be the other way around.

That was a scary thought.

Beside her she could see the others looking concerned, even distressed about what they'd just heard, though none looked more downtrodden than Ishida. He was at the very back of the group, head down, and looking like he just wanted to be left alone (more than usual, anyway). He almost looked sad.

Rukia moved to the side near Renji just in time to see him send their friend a concerned glance of his own.

"Hey," she whispered to him. "Do you know what's got Ishida like… _that_?"

"No idea," he whispered back. "The last time I saw him like that we were stuck in the Second Division thinking we were going to get tortured."

"Wait you were _what_?!" she asked incredulously. Then, she shook her head furiously. "Never mind, tell me later."

Renji shrugged his shoulders, as if to try and pass it off as being no big deal. This did nothing to comfort Rukia. "So, what," he said. "Do you think we should go talk to him?"

"Maybe, if…" she trailed off, suddenly remembering a specific detail of their tour. "Orihime!"

"Yes?" the girl called back, looking quite relieved. Only then did Rukia realize no one but the Shinigami had said something in some time.

"Uh… Renji, Ishida, and I are going to the gardens, if that's alright."

"Yeah, we're just going to walk around for a bit," Renji improvised, "I mean it's so long since we've been able to just 'hang out', you know?"

The use of slang seemed to go over the Shinigami's head, but she nodded all the same, seeming to understand the point. "Sure," she said, "just come back soon. You don't want to overwork yourselves."

"Thank you!" Rukia said with a smile. Looking back, she could see Ishida, still walking, probably having not heard a single word they'd said. She sent a sly grin to Renji.

Before the Quincy even knew what hit him the two friends hooked one arm each into one of his and started dragging him away.

"Time for a change of scenery, four eyes," Renji said with a snicker.

"What are you doing?" Ishida asked, eyes wide. Rukia had to admit, the look on his face was priceless.

"We're just going to talk," Rukia said plainly. He didn't seem assured by that in the slightest.

The two quickly found the entrance to the gardens, stepping in through the gates and yes, it was just as beautiful as Orihime had described.

There were stone paths leading through a quiet grassy area, well kept and pristine. Tall twisting trees loomed overhead and going in further they could see a bench placed before a pristine pond. Rukia made sure to steer them there. She and Renji sat Ishida on the center of the bench, sitting down on either side of him the second they let go.

For a moment they sat their quietly, Ishida shifting uncomfortably between the two. Rukia took that time to enjoy the view, seeing the way the setting sun reflected off the pond's surface, appreciating the plants that grew on the shoreline. She almost felt sad that they weren't just here to admire the scenery and that they had more pressing matters at hand.

"Why did you bring me here?" Ishida asked, scowling.

"We were worried, dumbass," Renji said.

Rukia nodded. "You haven't been yourself today, at all."

Ishida didn't say anything.

"Talk to us Ishida," Rukia said with a sigh. "We're your friends."

"Or don't," Renji said with a shrug. "If you tell us to fuck off, we won't argue."

"Much," Rukia added.

Something in Ishida's expression cracked at that. His annoyance seemed to melt away then replaced by something even worse. He looked defeated.

"I lost my Quincy powers."

A few beats passed after that.

"…Are you serious?" Rukia quietly asked.

"I wouldn't joke about something like this," he said tersely. "The technique I used to take down the Captain Commander took everything I had. I realized there was nothing left when I woke up this morning."

His gaze was on his lap. His hands were limp at his side. Rukia…she'd never seen him like this before, not even close.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say.

"You have nothing to apologize for. It was my choice… I just need some time."

"Do you want us to stay or…?" Renji trailed off, a deep frown on his face.

"I'd like to be alone."

Rukia bit her lip, nodding to herself. "Okay, we'll give you some time alone, then." Even as she said this, her and Renji sent each other worried glances over Ishida's hunched shoulders. They stood up, getting ready to head back to the infirmary.

"…Thanks."

The two stopped. Rukia looked back at Ishida, questioning.

"I…I needed to say that out loud," he elaborated. "So, thanks."

He didn't say anything else after that. He just stared out into the water. He looked better, if only marginally so. They walked back into the halls in the infirmary feeling entirely unsure. Making it all the way to the hospital room, Rukia sat down on her bed quietly, Renji nearly collapsing into the chair next to her.

"There's got to be something we can do…right?" Renji asked suddenly.

Rukia shook her head with a grimace. "We barely even know anything about our own powers, much less his." The words felt wrong to Rukia's ears. He was their friend. Wasn't there anything they could do?

"Hey, things could have been a lot worse," Renji tried. Rukia snorted.

"Yeah, like apparently you could have gotten tortured."

" _Or_ you could have gotten defeated by that psycho-crazy Captain that I heard so much about!"

"Pfft," she chuckled, "you don't even know the half of it."

They ended up exchanging those two stories, as well as other weird anecdotes they could drudge up for each other. The back and forth was nice, familiar. It felt like they hadn't done this in forever, just _talked_. Rukia made sure to hang onto every detail.

"I mean," he finished, "at least we got what we came here for in the end."

"We did," she said with a happy sigh. "Where _has_ Ichigo been, anyway?" Renji didn't answer for a moment, a pensive frown on his face. Rukia's smile faltered. "He's alright, isn't he?"

"No one's seen him," Renji said. Rukia paled. "Wait, wait, that's not what I meant!" he rushed out. "None of _us_ have seen him yet, but Orihime told us he's on observation or something, at least until his powers start coming back."

Rukia felt herself relax. "Then he's here in the infirmary."

"Yeah, he's here. He's apparently in some special wing just for Captains and Lieutenants. It might be hard to get in, but I bet…" He grinned. Rukia had a good sense of what he was getting at.

"Oh, we can get in," she said getting up from the bed and moving to the door, "and since Orihime isn't due for another hour…"

"All we have to do is just figure out how we're going to actually see the guy without getting busted."

"We'll get there when we get there," Rukia said with a shrug. Besides, all she wants to do is see him for a second. Even one second would be enough. "So, do you know where this wing is?" she asked as she opened the door. The two walked out, quietly yet casually.

"Not really," he said sheepishly.

"Seriously?" she asked with a scowl.

"I mean, I'm pretty sure we can figure it out, right? This place can't be that big."

Rukia didn't say anything in response. She just hoped to god he was right.

By the time they reached the half hour mark of sneaking around Rukia realized that no, he wasn't right. The infirmary was not small, and they probably shouldn't have expected as much from a place meant to support the entire Gotei Thirteen.

It didn't help that she was pretty sure they were going in circles.

"Really, you couldn't have asked where he was?" Rukia questioned, tiredness seeping into her voice.

"As if they'd tell me," Renji grumbled back.

"Wait," she said, hand in the air. With that same hand she pointed to a nameplate right next to her.

 _Saijin Komamura_

She was _sure_ she'd heard that name before, but…

"Captain Komamura!" she whisper-yelled.

Renji let out a sigh. "Then we found it."

"Start checking nameplates."

It seemed that for once luck was on their side. No one was in the hall at the moment, but she wasn't convinced that would last. She carefully read every nameplate she passed.

 _Chōjiro Sasakibe…_

 _Isshin Shiba…_

"Found it!" Renji quietly called, just on the other side of the hall. Rukia hurried to him, read the nameplate and grinned.

 _Ichigo Shiba_

Her hand hovered over the doorknob, and Rukia quickly realized that even though she had the perfect opportunity, she had absolutely no idea what she was going to say to him, or even what he would say to her on such an impromptu visit. Still, she didn't want to just turn back, not after spending all this time searching. So, steeling herself, she opened the door, just a crack.

"You guys have been keeping up with your studies, right?"

Rukia nearly slammed the door shut at the sudden sound of Ichigo's voice. Did he know they were there already? And what was this about studies?

"Yeah, and it's gettin' real boring," another voice complained. She sounded like a young girl.

"Karin's gotten so much better at Kendo, I can barely keep up," another young girl said exasperatedly.

"I keep on asking goat-face about going to the Academy, but he keeps turning me down," Karin said with an audible frown.

"Hey," Ichigo said, a smile evident in his voice, "we only need one Tōshiro running around, here. Besides, from what I hear, Yuzu's still got you beat at Reiryoku control."

Karin grumbled causing Yuzu to giggle.

"Wait," Ichigo insisted, "you'll be glad you did, but for now you two should get going. You don't want to be late for your lesson, do you?"

"We've been on time for weeks," Yuzu insisted.

"Yeah, just this once won't hurt," Karin added.

"Hey, don't get lazy on me, now," he ribbed.

 _"_ _Excuse me?"_

It took Rukia a second to realize that voice wasn't coming from behind the door, but rather behind _her_. A hand grabbed her ear, another grabbing Renji's and before she knew it, she was being forcibly dragged inside the room.

If Rukia weren't so busy yelling "ow!" at the painful sensation of being dragged by her ear, (and dear god no one had done that to her since she was _five_ ) she would have noticed more about the room she was in. It had a single bed, one much nicer and larger than the bed she had. The room had a grand window overlooking the gardens and seemed much more spacious. The chairs next to it (in which sat two _very_ confused little girls) looked brand new. In short, it was a deluxe room, that much was obvious.

"Master Shiba," a voice full of disdain said. The person currently dragging her and Renji _by their ears_ was a stern looking man with neatly cropped black hair and an angular face. He wore a kimono and hakama set that looked like it would have been all the rage in the 1800s.

"These two were spying on you from outside your door," he continued. "Shall I report them, sir?"

This wasn't too far from what Rukia was expecting, if she were being honest. She winced as the man pulled harder, forcing her to stand straight. She could hear Renji loudly complaining from the other side.

Still she saw Ichigo, sitting up, looking fine, if a bit amused, beside two young girls that Rukia presumed were his sisters. There were some differences, like their hair colors, but the black haired one had a shared a striking resemblance with Captain Shiba, and she was pretty sure she'd seen Ichigo make those exact two expressions before (the bewildered innocent confusion as well as the thinly veiled hostility).

Seeing them, now, she considered it all worth it.

"No!" Ichigo said between chuckles. "They're friends, there's nothing to worry about."

The man didn't look very sure, but he let them go immediately after that explanation. He then proceeded to glare at them for a solid five seconds, a glare that had Rukia's eyes glued to her feet in an attempt to avoid it.

"Young Mistresses," he finally said softening his glare, "I've come to take you to your lessons."

The twins immediately groaned at this, looking to their brother for help. He simply smiled and waved them off.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," he said. "I'm–" He found himself cut off as the two girls tackled him in a hug, grabbing as tightly as they could, judging by Ichigo's strained (touched) expression. After a long moment they let go.

Rukia felt as if she were intruding on something, here.

"Okay, sensei," Yuzu said, looking a little brighter. Karin kept her gaze to the side, scowling. It looked a odd on her young face, her being a little younger than Hitsugaya by Rukia's estimation. Still, Rukia could recognize the "Shiba Scowl" anywhere.

The two girls were escorted out by their sensei, dragging their feet ever so slightly. The man gave her and Renji one last icy glare before quietly closing the door behind him.

"My sisters," Ichigo said with a grin. "They're strong, but…I think they took this whole thing harder than anyone, even if they won't admit it." His grin faltered there for a moment. He shook his head. "Sorry, uh, take a seat."

Rukia could feel the awkwardness in the air as she sat down. Renji was rubbing his probably sore ear, seeming like he had no idea where to even look, and Rukia was suddenly reminded of how she didn't have anything ready to say. She got to see Ichigo. Now what?

Ichigo ended up being the first one to speak.

"I still can't believe it," he finally said.

Rukia let out a long sigh. "I know what you mean." Renji nodded tiredly beside her.

Maybe it was out of some need to break the awkwardness or maybe it was just some weird break in sanity, but Rukia started laughing. She was giggling and then chuckling, and then just unabashedly laughing. Before she knew it Renji joined her with his own chortles. Then Ichigo started laughing, too. She wasn't sure how to describe this feeling, but it was good, that was certain.

Eventually the laughter died down, and they all quieted.

"Thank you for brining me back to them," Ichigo said, a full smile on his face. "There's not much I can do to repay you, but–"

"Repay?" Rukia asked incredulously. "This was me repaying you. You were the one that gave me these powers in the first place. If I had just let them take you…"

"Hey, hey, we know you could both do this all day," Renji joked. "Ichigo, just say what you were going to say."

Ichigo looked genuinely embarrassed for a moment. Rukia felt her own face heat up.

Clearing his throat, Ichigo continued, "My Captain agreed to help you all get to the World of the Living. Hopefully, you'll be back to your normal lives by tomorrow morning."

"Yeah… 'normal'," Renji snorted.

"You know what I mean."

Though he didn't come out and say it, Rukia heard the implication in Ichigo's words. He wasn't coming back with them.

Whatever. She'd never seen him happier than when his sisters hugged him back there.

"Just try not to be a stranger, okay?" Rukia asked with a half-smile.

"Karakura kinda grew on me," he answered with his own. "I doubt I could stay away from too long." That smile dropped quickly, though, something that sent a wave of concern through Rukia.

"That being said it might take a while," he continued. "Aizen made a real mess of things over here. Everyone's got their work cut out for them for a long while. That's not even counting all the work that's gotta be done to stop the bastard. We don't even know what we're stopping him _from_."

Their judicial branch was gone, three Captains just went AWOL, and plenty of others were injured. Yeah, they had some work to do, Rukia thought.

A soft knock sounded at the door a second before it was quietly opened.

"Ichigo, have you seen–" Orihime cut herself off, stepping through the doorway. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on Renji and Rukia. The glare she was sending them was somehow just as intimidating as the Sensei's from earlier.

"So, this is where you were," she said with narrowed eyes. "Rukia you're supposed to be in bed."

"Uh, s-sorry," Rukia stammered out, "I guess I just…"

 _Think fast! Think fast! What's a good excuse?!_

Orihime continued before Rukia could think of one. "Renji, Ichigo, you two should have at least known better, but then again…" She sent Ichigo a harsh glared, one that Ichigo shied away from.

Rukia could already imagine a very similar conversation happening in the past in which Ichigo was in her place.

Really, though, Rukia thought Orihime was overreacting a bit. Yes, she was starting to feel tired, but she wasn't in pain or anything. Then again, she probably wasn't up for another thirty minutes of walking.

Okay, now she was starting to feel embarrassed.

"Well," Orihime grumbled out, "I guess there's nothing we can do about it now. You better hope you didn't reopen any of your wounds, though."

"I d-don't think so?" Rukia supplied.

"Tch, I'll be the judge of that." Then, the Shinigami muttered something quietly to herself. "I don't think I can get a wheelchair out here on such short notice," she said.

"I really don't think that's necessary!"

"Maybe it wouldn't have been if you were a good patient," Orihime said with narrowed eyes. Rukia couldn't find it in her to say anything back. The Shinigami chose then to turn back to Ichigo, a gentle smile back on her face. "It's nice to see that you're doing well. Captain Unohana's going to come around soon to check up on you."

"Got it," he said with a grin. "Staying put." Orihime grinned back.

"Then it's time for us to go," Orihime said, turning back to Rukia, "and since getting a wheelchair will be difficult…"

Lips pursed, Orihime looked at the other girl for a moment before nodding to herself. She then proceeded to crouch down on the floor, her back to Rukia, arms outstretched behind her.

"Get on."

On second thought, the wheelchair sounded quite nice.

"Are…you sure you can carry me?" she asked pathetically.

"Oh, I could carry Renji," Orihime assured. Beside her, Renji paled.

Rukia didn't want to do it, but after a long moment of hesitation she got up from her seat (feeling her legs wobble at the motion) and climbed on Orihime's back, wrapping her arms around the Shinigami. Orihime stood up, and Rukia was surprised to find her hold quite secure. It was embarrassing, but Rukia had accepted her fate by now.

Still, she had at least one thing left to say.

"Ichigo!" she said, turning awkwardly to see him again. He perked up. "See you around."

"Yeah…" he said, smiling. "See you around."

They left the room then, Rukia feeling warm for reasons aside from Orihime's body heat.

Coming back ended up being far faster than going. Renji and Rukia proved to be even more lost then they knew when Orihime took about two minutes to bring them back to their own room. They arrived to a quietly dozing Ishida, lying in his own bed. Orihime carefully placed Rukia on hers, drawing the curtain between the two.

"I'm going to take a look at Rukia," Orihime said softly, "so you should stay behind the curtain until we're done."

"Actually," Renji said, "I'll think I'll just go along. I don't want to bother Ishida or anything."

Orihime nodded offhandedly. "Ganju should be around here somewhere. He should know where you'll both be staying."

Renji left then, quietly thanking Orihime and sending Rukia a sympathetic wave. She waved back, feeling a bit like flipping him off for just abandoning her.

"Strip."

The experience was awkward. She was fully conscious, not even having pain as a motivator, and having absolutely nothing underneath this Yukata. Rukia had to remind herself that for all intents and purposes, Orihime was a doctor.

They wrestled off the Obi belt together, and Orihime got to take a good look at the wound underneath. For the first time, so did Rukia.

The wound was a straight slice going from the bottom of her left ribcage all the way to her right hip. It was almost completely healed, scabs having formed with most already falling away. However, the edges of it looked inflamed.

It wasn't the only scar she had on her body either. It seemed that during her time here she'd built up quite the collection. There were the mostly healed lightning bolts at her wrists and elbows, a result of her Bankai, apparently. Then there were the faint burn scars, evidence of her fights with Tatsuki, nearly faded away. There were also the scars from Kenpachi's fight, the faint one on her shoulder and the one that cut into her side and could be traced around to her back. That one didn't seem like it was fading any time soon.

She wondered if those would transfer over to her human body, because if they did, she'd have quite the time explaining things back at school.

"It's doing well," Orihime said, "but you did manage to irritate it." A spell on her lips, Orihime placed a glowing hand over the wound, moving slowly over the entirety of it. Pain that Rukia didn't even realize she had started ebbing away. Orihime was done with it in about a minute.

She moved on to some of Rukia's other wounds then, mostly those caused by her Zanpakuto, but quickly determined they were alright.

"One more healing session tomorrow morning and you should be free to go," she assured, " _but_ you're on strict bedrest until then."

"You can't be serious," Rukia said nervously. "I'm going to be here for the rest of the day?"

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Orihime scolded, putting Rukia's Yukata back into place. "It's almost dinner time. You won't be here for long. Besides, this is your punishment."

Rukia grimaced. No, that wasn't as bad as she first thought. Actually, now that she was thinking about it, dinner sounded really good.

Orihime drew the curtain back after that, whispering that someone would be by with dinner soon and then reminding Rukia to _actually_ get some rest while she was here. Rukia grumbled something back that she didn't quite remember, and Orihime left.

Rukia decided to get comfortable in her bed after that, adjusting the pillows and trying to just sit back and relax as she let her mind drift.

Rukia was going home tomorrow. She wasn't even sure how long she'd been gone, but… seeing Byakuya, Kukaku, all her classmates, heck, even Paku, she was looking forward to that. She was looking forward to "normal", and if Aizen thought he could ruin that for her, he had another thing coming.

Part V

Renji really wished Orihime had told him where the hell Ganju was. Finding that big of a guy shouldn't have been this hard, but then again, this infirmary was a goddamn maze. For all Renji knew Ganju wasn't even in the building anymore.

Just as he was getting ready to give up, head back, and consider it all a lost cause, he spotted Ganju quietly slipping out of the infirmary's back doors.

"Hey, wait!" Renji called.

Ganju froze immediately as if he was just caught doing something wrong. He looked stiffly to his right and then his left. Without so much as a word he grabbed Renji's arm dragging him outside.

"What the hell?" growled out Renji. Did the guy really have to be this rough?

"Shh!" Ganju sounded. "This is on a need to know basis, Abarai," he said conspiratorially, "but, I'm sneaking out."

"…Huh?" Renji asked flatly. "You do know where not prisoners, right?"

"Of course, I know that! It doesn't change how the Soul Society is. There are rules, regulations, you need things like 'clearance', and I don't have time for that," he sneered. "Luckily, I've got a man in the insider…err…outside."

"Where are you even going?" Renji asked exasperatedly.

"To the same District we came from."

Renji paused.

"…Okay, I'm coming with."

…

It was hard to tell how long it took the two to reach their destination, the western gate of the Seireitei, but by the time they got there, it was completely dark out. Apparently just through there was the First District of West Rukongai, where a few of Ganju's buddies were supposed to be.

"I mean, I can't just least without saying anything," the man continued. "Who even knows the next time I'm coming back here?"

"…Uh…yeah," Renji said lamely. He really wasn't listening.

The gate before them was hulking and huge, taking up an entire section of the wall, a wall that he didn't get a very good look at back when he was on the other side of it. He was wondering how the hell they were going to get through. He doubted either of them could open it.

Then, he got close enough to hear someone snoring. The sound was loud enough to make the ground shake slightly beneath their feet. He was starting to get an idea of how they would open this.

"Jidanbō!" Ganju stage whispered. The snoring halted suddenly.

"Huh…who's there?" a deep, tired voice asked.

"It's me, Ganju! I need you to open the gate for me and my friend!"

"Are you sure?" Jidanbō asked with a whine. "I'm not really supposed to do that for just anyone."

"Well, yeah, but we're not just 'anyone' are we?" Ganju asked, hands on his hips. "Besides, we'll be back before anyone even realizes, promise!"

"Well…" The man on the other side seemed to be considering. Renji hoped to god that they weren't turned away after all that walking. "Okay," he relented, "but if someone asks, I'm blaming you!"

"Thanks buddy! You won't regret it!"

Ganju took a large step back, and Renji quickly followed, just a little fearful.

To Renji's relief, the ground didn't rumble. Power didn't buzz through the air. Instead, the fingers of two impossibly large hands dug under the gate and _lifted_ it. The gate was about a quarter of the way up when Ganju urged them both forward. Renji quickly ducked through.

The second they were on the other side, the gate was lowered, a quiet yet heavy thud sounding out.

Renji had started to put together a mental picture of the gatekeeper as all this was going on, but he really wasn't ready for what was before him. The man was easily ten meters tall, Renji having to crane his neck just to look him in the eye. He wore the Shinigami uniform and beside him laid two cleavers bigger than Renji and by a good amount. His imposing figure, one made of pure muscle, was one betrayed only by his face. He looked like a tired monkey, face open and just a little dopey. It was only when he sat down again, causing the ground to shake, that Renji remembered to be intimidated. The large man stared at Renji.

"You're one of the Ryoka, aren't you?" Jidanbō asked with wide eyes.

"Umm, yes," Renji said, unsure. Jidanbō's face broke out into a wide smile.

"When I heard what you all did, I thought it was amazing!" he said. "I would have helped you if I could, but I had to stay here," he pouted. "I'd say 'stay as long as you'd like' but then we'd all be in trouble. Just be back soon, okay!"

"We will," Ganju assured. Jidanbō sleepily waved them goodbye.

As they walked through town it became apparent that this District was fast asleep. Lanterns were blown out and not a soul seemed to be awake, none but them, of course. Still, Ganju seemed certain that he could find his buddies. Renji was starting to lose hope for himself.

Considering the merits of just heading back and trying again early tomorrow, Renji followed Ganju out of the town and into the outskirts of the village. It was here that he realized that the people may not have been as asleep as he first thought.

An orange glow could be seen through the trees, right in the direction of the old Shiba compound. When they reached it, Renji couldn't help but smile.

It was a summer festival. It wasn't very big, not like the ones back in Tokyo, but something about it felt much cozier. It looked like everyone in the District was here talking, eating, and dancing. There were no shortage of stalls lining the area. Dozens of handmade lanterns were lit above their heads, and Renji really wished the others were here to see this.

"Renji!" a voice called out.

Renji found himself being barreled to the ground by a young boy. "Yūichi!" he cried out, hefting both himself and the child off the ground. It looked like coming here wasn't a waste after all.

Yūichi buried his face in Renji's chest, a contented sigh coming from him. "You kept your promise."

The teenager grinned. "Of course, I did, kid. Now, what story do you want to hear first?"

Renji ended up staying at the festival until late into the night telling all kinds of stories and gaining quite the audience after a while. By the side he saw Ganju drinking and laughing with four men that looked about his age. He guessed these were his friends if the man's dumb grin was anything to go by. That was alright. Renji was grinning, too.

This was easily the best night he'd had in a while.

Part VI

When Rukia was woken up it was very nearly the crack of dawn. Still, she didn't feel tired. Back in the infirmary she'd had nothing better to do but eat and then sleep, so she was well rested.

Not too far behind her were the others, Ganju, Renji, Yoruichi, and Ishida, all ready to go through what was before them in the gardens, a huge portal in the shape of a Tori Gate that she was quite sure wasn't there yesterday. In front of her stood Ichigo and his Captain, a Captain that she'd actually met before.

Rukia recognized him as the white-haired Captain from outside of Ichigo's cell, and seeing him now, while not filled with adrenaline, she noticed a few other things about him.

He was a very pale man, almost unhealthily so, something that was only accentuated by his long white hair. His thin face was very gentle, however, and he looked to be in his fifties. He immediately introduced himself as Captain Ukitake.

Not long after doing that, he apologized for being absent in the final confrontation. Apparently, he didn't just _look_ unhealthy. He had taken ill not long after Rukia had first met him, something that he looked none too happy about as he explained it, though he put on a smile for the group anyway as he launched into his explanations.

"This is a real Senkaimon," he announced to the group. "I imagine your trip through here will be much smoother than your previous one.

"Still a good idea to run, though!" Yoruichi said, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Not funny," Ganju said with a scowl.

"Rukia?" Captain Ukitake asked quietly, waving her over to the side. "Could you please come here?"

Yoruichi looked back at Captain Ukitake before placing a hand on Rukia's shoulder giving it a solid squeeze. She let go, with a reassuring smile and Rukia headed over to the man, feeling just a little nervous.

"Yes, Captain Ukitake?" she asked, trying to mind her manners. He smiled warmly.

"Since you'll be keeping your Shinigami powers," he explained, "I thought it prudent to give you _this_."

With a graceful hand he pulled something out of his sleeve and presented it to her. He was holding a strange wooden badge about the size of her fist. It had a red rope attached to the top, presumably for tying to your belt, and on its face was a stylized image of a skull.

"This is the Combat Pass of the Substitute Shinigami," he stated. "I recommend you keep it close. It marks you as one of our own and should also help you leave your body in a pinch if needed." He placed it carefully in Rukia's outstretched hand, wrapping her fingers around it. Rukia made sure to hold onto it tightly.

"Thank you, sir," she said with a bow.

"No, thank you." He bowed back.

After that, cheeks tinged pink, Rukia headed back to the others, carefully hooking the badge on her belt. She stood in front of the Senkaimon.

They were ready to go.

"Hey, Rukia!" Ichigo called out suddenly. She looked back at him. He gave her a soft smile. "See you around."

"Yeah…See you around."

With a smile on her face she stepped inside.

Part VII

An entire four days after what Kisuke was pretty sure would go down as one of the most infamous events in Soul Society history, a Captain's meeting was finally called. It was at least a couple days overdue in his opinion, but he understood that they had to wait for all the injured to get cleared for duty.

 _Well, almost all._

Lieutenant Hinamori, Momo, as everyone knew her, may have been physically cleared for duty yesterday, but as far as Kisuke knew, she still hadn't gotten out of bed. Those that visited her said she was nearly catatonic. Just another reason to hate Aizen and this whole goddamn coup.

Kisuke was one of the last people to enter the meeting room. It looked even bigger and emptier than usual. There was maybe one other time in his career when the place looked this sparse, but he was pretty sure he'd rather go a few unarmed rounds against a Gillian than dredge up those memories. Today, there'd be no helping that, sadly.

The meeting started as any other. Introductions were given, formalities were glossed over, and reports were doled out and recited. No one paid attention during this part. In fact, Kisuke was pretty sure he could see Kenpachi dozing off in his seat. The only real deviation from the norm here were all the Lieutenants speaking in lieu of their Captains, or in the Fifth Division's case, one incredibly intimidated Third Seat.

Eventually, however, those ended, and for once, Kisuke didn't find himself relieved at that, mostly because he knew exactly what came next.

"It has come to my attention," the Captain Commander started, "that a few of you here suspected Aizen of treachery and did not see fit to report it to me. I would ask that you step forward." At that final demand he sent an accusatory glare right at Kisuke, and all the man could do was stare confidently back, even if he didn't feel very confident.

Kisuke stepped forward, and despite all they had discussed earlier, so did Isshin. (It wasn't a pleasant discussion, either. It had started and ended with Isshin punching him in the face from his hospital bed for going behind his back and doing all of this. Apparently, his old friend hadn't like finding out about their quest by accident when he saw Yoruichi outside of the cell and realized something was up. Kisuke really couldn't apologize enough for that one, and he knew it.)

"Yes," Kisuke answered automatically. He had rehearsed this repeatedly yesterday, "I…" He sent Isshin a pointed stare before correcting himself. "We suspected that Sōsuke Aizen was up to something many years ago. We just didn't have any proof."

"Then pray tell," Captain Unohana interjected, "why you did not say anything."

"It's just as he said," Isshin drawled. "We thought we knew, but we just didn't have any proof. The bastard was too slippery for that."

With a humorless smile Kyoraku added, "In their defense, if they had told me a week ago that Aizen was going to pull something like this, I probably would have sent them off to see you, Retsu."

"Regardless of their reason," the Captain Commander said solemnly, a deep scowl on his face, "withholding of such information will not be tolerated in the Gotei Thirteen. We will discuss both of your punishments at a later date, but now, I would like you to tell me what you believe to be the extent of Aizen's crimes."

Kisuke nodded slowly, accepting, before reaching behind him to pick up a box, one filled to the brim with files, every single one on Aizen. About half of it was confiscated from Aizen's Division headquarters just yesterday. Kisuke had plenty of other boxes back at his lab just like it.

He picked up one of the manila folders, this one containing his own notes. Flipping through it he began listing off its contents.

It was a timeline, one that started from nearly the day Aizen became a Lieutenant decades ago, and it didn't seem to end. Glancing up every once in a while, Kisuke could see the shock and sometimes even pain evident on the others' faces. He noted young Ichigo in particular when he mentioned the deaths of Miyako and Kaien Shiba, and how he looked pained, but not surprised.

He ended up stumbling through the Visored incident when he finally got to it. By the time he reached recent events, everyone just looked tired.

Ukitake was the one to break the stupor they all found themselves in. "Just one of those crimes alone would be nearly unthinkable," he muttered. "He's really responsible for all of that?"

Kisuke nodded. "A week ago, these would have been little more than conspiracy theories, but after looking through his research, I can confirm all of my claims are true."

"And you've brought his research with you?" asked the Captain Commander.

"I've brought some of it," Kisuke corrected. Jokingly he added, "I think I would need a little help bringing _all_ of it here. The guy's been at it for a long time."

"Excuse me, but I don't think you've been very clear as to what this research is even about," Suì-Fēng interjected with a deep frown.

Putting the file back in its place, Kisuke said, "He was mostly doing experiments on Hollows, Shinigami, and humans with special powers such as Quincy. He seemed to have a fixation on power and the creation of hybrids, hence the Visoreds, as well as the strange abilities of the young Ryoka, Rukia Orikasa."

"Then…if he's made several Shinigami with the powers of Hollows," Unohana said carefully, "would it be reasonable to say he's done the inverse, already?"

"It's almost certain." Now, came the hard part. " _But_ I can't confirm it. Much of his research on that seems to be missing."

This caused some murmurs to spread throughout the room.

"Missing?" the Captain Commander asked.

"It's possible the research is with him in Hueco Mundo where he'd have plenty of candidates to continue it. He did leave some information about them here, however, we're just having some trouble figuring it out."

"Seriosly?" Kenpachi snorted. Kisuke blinked. He hadn't realized Kenpachi was even paying attention. "Isn't figuring that shit out literally your job?"

"Yes," Kisuke answered with a frown, "but most of this is in code, and the stuff that isn't even my brightest researchers are having trouble comprehending."

"Could you give us a time frame for when you'll have it all uncovered?" asked the Captain Commander.

"Probably three months."

The Captain Commander's frown deepened, something that sent an uneasy feeling through Kisuke's stomach. The older man didn't say more on it, though. He instead moved on.

"Thank you Captain Urahara. Before I adjourn this meeting; however, I would like to say a few words."

The man cleared his throat and with a single strike of his cane Captain Commander Genryusai Yamamoto began.

"There are some that are calling these recent events the greatest betrayal the Gotei Thirteen has ever faced. Maybe they are right. Only time will tell, but those of you who have been with me for the last few centuries would know that this is far from the _only_ betrayal and far from the only crisis that we've had to overcome.

"As difficult as such a thing may seem, there is one thing that is of the utmost importance during times such as these. _Trust_ in your fellow officer is paramount. You must believe one another, and you must believe _in_ one another.

"It is for that reason that I, on behalf of the Gotei Thirteen would like to issue an apology to Lieutenant Shiba."

Looking at Ichigo, Kisuke could see shock, plain as day. Still, upon hearing his name the kid steeped forward, visibly steeling himself.

"Had we remembered these principles," the Captain Commander continued, "you may not have been in the situation you found yourself in days ago. For that, I apologize."

Ichigo bowed deeply, stepping back to his position. His expression was unreadable.

"It is on those words that I would like to end this meeting." The Captain Commander struck his cane on the ground twice the sound clear and absolute. "Dismissed!"

The Shinigami filed out after that, all scheduled to return in a week to discuss their strategy moving forward, but before Kisuke could leave with the others the Captain Commander said one more thing.

"Captain Urahara, you will stay. We will discuss this research of Aizen's further."

He really should have seen that one coming. Kisuke went right back to his spot. He could feel his back aching from his recent long hours at his desk. He could hear little bottle of painkillers he kept stashed away for his frequent migraines calling to him. Still, he waited patiently for the Captain Commander to continue.

"Under these circumstances," the Commander began, "we cannot afford to wait three months for you to uncover Aizen's research."

Kisuke frowned. He realized they wanted to make battle plans within the week, but…

"We're working as hard as we can, sir," Kisuke tried. "These things take time, and it's not as if we've uncovered nothing."

"Then, what _have_ you uncovered."

"For starters," he said, pulling out a specific file in the box, "we know he calls these Hollow-Shinigami hybrids Arrancar."

"'Arrancar'? The name sounds familiar."

Kisuke nodded, pointing to the use of the name on the paper. "It should. It was a proposed name _I_ gave them some years ago. It seems Aizen was using my own research as a jumping off point in more ways than one."

That really pissed him off, too. His research was never meant for something like this. The second he realized what it could be used for, he had stopped. He just hadn't realized that someone had continued it for him.

(Again.)

"This research, you worked on it with your very first Lieutenant back in the day, before your falling out, correct?"

Kisuke grit his teeth. "Yes, I did." He wasn't liking where this was going.

"Do you know the whereabouts of your former Lieutenant?"

 _You've gotta be shitting me._

"No, I don't." He could feel the file tearing slightly in his hands. He had copies.

"Do you believe you could find him?"

He snapped.

"If you think I'd ever work with that monster then you have another thing co –!"

"Kisuke!" the Captain Commander boomed. The scientist bit his tongue. "This is not up for debate. Out of any current or former members of the Gotei Thirteen, _that man_ is the only one that would be able to help us in this matter."

He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all, but at the end of the day, the Captain Commander always had the last word. With Central Forty-Six gone that sentiment rang truer than ever.

"You will find Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and you will bring him back before the month's end. Have I made myself clear?"

Kisuke bowed, if only to hide the intense anger in his eyes.

"Yes, Captain Commander."

* * *

 **I had a ton of fun with characterization in this one, especially with Orihime and Urahara. I think I'm an Urahara fan and I didn't actually know it until today? I'm not really sure, yet. We'll see.**

 **Tune in next week, because spoiler alert there might not be a new chapter for a while after that. I'll talk about it more later.**


	30. XXX: Interlude 6

**This chapter is a little rushed, and I can't say I'm super happy with the pacing, but I did get across what I wanted for it in the end. The content is heavily inspired by "Twin Soul" a fic by Liralen Li, which is one that you should definitely check out if you're a Shunsui/Ukitake fan, or are just a fan of Bleach lore like I am.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _130 years ago_

Orihime placed her meager bag of belongings onto a small table. She felt…apprehension? Excitement? She honestly wasn't sure. The only thing she could be sure of was that she was finally here.

"Here" was a cramped room with two small tables, two closets, and two futons stowed away in those closets. This was a first-year dorm within Shin'ō Academy, and this was where she'd be staying for the foreseeable future.

Even just thinking those words sent another jolt of _something_ through her stomach. It had taken a lot of nerve to leave her old home, to even _try_ taking the entrance exam, but somehow, against all odds, she'd made it in. The fact that she hadn't made it in alone made her feel even twice as lucky.

With that thought, and a nervous smile on her face, Orihime began unpacking her bag. She undid the knot holding it together and with much care picked out each item one by one.

She had brought two of her nicest kimonos (though they weren't quite as nice as the brand-new uniform she was currently wearing), an old wooden hairbrush with long-faded paint, a block of sweet smelling soap, and finally, wrapped securely in a scrap of silk, a pair of hairpins decorated with crystal blue flowers that sparkled when she held them to the light.

Orihime loved those two little pins more than anything else she owned, and staring down at them cradled in her hand, she felt a deep ache in her heart. Without fail, every morning she would place these pins in her hair right before heading off to work. She would catch herself in the mirror just as she left, look at them, and think of her brother.

Letting out a sigh, she wrapped the pins back in the silk, tying it securely before placing them back in her bag. A Shinigami Academy was no place for such things.

(And as long as she knew they were here when she needed them, that would be enough.)

Just as the girl finished stowing her items in the closet, the front door opened and closed behind her.

"Ah! Hello," Orihime rushed out, closing the closet door. She turned around and with a smile bowed to this stranger. "You must be my new roommate! I'm Orihime Inoue."

"Hey."

Orihime held her bow for a moment, smile faltering, waiting for the other person to introduce themselves. She waited a little longer, hearing a heavy suitcase being plopped on the floor before finally straightening up with a blush. Well, that was a little rude.

Still, if Orihime was anything, it was persistent.

"I hope we can have a great year together," she pressed on. "What's your name?"

"Arisawa," she said simply, already rummaging through her bag near the window. Orihime frowned. It seemed this girl wasn't one for manners, but looking at her, Orihime was starting to understand why.

Everything about the way the girl carried herself screamed "Rukongai brat". The aggressive way she held herself was something that Orihime had yet to see in a clan child, especially a daughter. It wasn't much to go off of, more of a hunch, than anything, but it was a hunch that Orihime hoped was right. It would mean they had something in common and would hopefully be at least one reason for them to be, if not friends, _friendly_.

She thought of asking about it right then and there but looking at Arisawa now and the way she's gazing out of the window, a blank look on her face and melancholy coming off her in waves, she decided against it. Maybe tomorrow, then.

…

"Hi, Arisawa!" Orihime beamed. "It looked like we have the same first period."

Orihime had missed Arisawa during morning wakeup call. It was quite a relief to see her now, sitting at a desk in the very back of their first class, "Introduction to Reiryoku". Arisawa's already present frown deepened the moment she heard her name being called.

Well, that was no good. You couldn't start the morning off with a frown!

Orihime sat down at the empty seat right next to Arisawa.

"Did you sleep alright?" Orihime asked quietly. Arisawa shrugged, eyes on the front of the room, and Orihime nodded sympathetically. "I completely get it. I always have trouble sleeping in strange places, too."

The other girl grunted something unintelligible and barely audible. Orihime felt her smile strain a bit. She really wasn't getting anywhere, was she?

Before she had the chance to try and say something else, the teacher stood up from his desk at the front of the room, cleared his throat, and begun the lesson.

At first, Orihime found herself listening to a pleasant introduction to Shinigami powers and the kinds of things that could be achieved with them. Within minutes she's scrambling for parchment and trying to write down the differences between Reiki, Reishi, Reiryoku, Reiatsu, and did he mention there was going to be a quiz on these tomorrow?

"They all sound the same," Orihime whispered to Arisawa. "They have to be making these up, right?"

Arisawa glared harshly at her.

Orihime's mouth snapped shut in record time, her eyes going back to her notes. Okay, maybe the girl wasn't a fan of jokes.

She kept her mouth shut for the remainder of class in the end. She tried again in the next class, but when she got a similar response, she started considering giving up entirely.

"What do you think, Chad. Am I trying too hard?"

"Maybe," he supplied right before taking a long sip of his miso.

The mess hall may not have been the best place to have this conversation, but it was all Orihime had. At the moment it was moderately populated with students from all years, as well as a few full-fledged Shinigami. She could even see Arisawa, just a few tables down, eating quietly.

"That's not much of an answer," Orihime grumbled. "I was really hoping that this would work out. I mean _I'm_ from Rukongai _she's_ from Rukongai…"

"She's not from Rukongai," Chad said matter-of-factly.

 _Wait, what_

"Wait, what?" Orihime shook her head. "How do you know that?"

"My roommate mentioned her," he said with a shrug. "He and Arisawa grew up together. He's a Shiba."

"Really," Orihime said with a frown. "Did he say anything else?"

Chad shook his head. "He didn't like talking about Arisawa."

Orihime's frown deepened. There was probably some troubled history in between them, then, one that she wouldn't feel comfortable trying to pry into, and that was assuming they were talking about the same Arisawa. Still…

"Then her old friend doesn't even want to talk about her?" Orihime asked quietly.

Chad nodded stiffly. Though it wouldn't be obvious to others, Orihime could tell he was just as sad about this realization as she was.

Looking back to the table Arisawa was at, Orihime saw that the girl had finished eating already. She saw her get up, gather her things, and leave her corner of an already sparsely filled table empty. It was about then that Orihime made a promise to herself.

Until Arisawa genuinely told her to buzz off, Orihime would not stop trying to make her smile.

…

The rest of the week ended up being pretty interesting. Having entire lectures filled with words and concepts that Orihime had never even heard of was overwhelming to say the least. Still, she memorized it all as best as she could. Practical classes wouldn't start for another week or so, so at least she had some time to take it all in.

Somehow, during all this, she found time to think about the "Arisawa Situation".

It turned out the two had the exact same schedule. Quite a few of the first years did, actually, and Orihime planned on using that to her advantage. Trying to stay away from outright pestering the girl, Orihime made sure to slip in a few words every once in a while, crack a joke every so often, and sit next to Arisawa whenever possible, basically.

Okay, maybe she was pestering her just a teeny tiny bit, but Arisawa didn't seem to mind all that much. Her glares had stopped about mid-way through day three and eventually so had her grumbles. She was responding much more often now, albeit with hums, gestures, or the rare one-word response. Their conversations may have been very one sided, but Orihime could confidently call them conversations, now!

It was progress, and that was all Orihime cared about. The largest bit of progress, one that shocked even Orihime, happened at their second kendo lesson.

Even from those two lessons alone, Orihime had noticed certain things about the girl in that class that she hadn't in others. She seemed to curl in on herself more there. She went from answering questions rarely to not at all. At first Orihime thought the girl was annoyed at _her,_ amending that later to her roommate just having a bad day.

Now, she thinks she understands.

At the beginning of their last kendo class, Orihime had been whispering some joke to Tatsuki about the color of the training mats. It wasn't a very good joke, in retrospect, but it had been enough to keep her from hearing the roll call that day. Today, watching Arisawa quietly, she heard the roll loud and clear.

"Morikata Kujō… Tohru Satō… Ichigo Shiba…"

Orihime's eyes snapped to the front of the class. She saw a student stand up at the mention of his name, a student that she'd last week but thought she hadn't thought anything of him. He sat back down.

Ichigo Shiba. This was the only class the two shared with him. No wonder Arisawa looked so…sad.

Orihime didn't say much during this class, just wracking her brain for ways to turn this situation around. She took notes during the lecture, filling the margins of the page with possible ideas. About fifteen minutes in one came, and so did the opportunity.

It was improper, impolite, and in literally any other situation, Orihime wouldn't have said it, but the instructor was asking if anyone knew the basic stances, and since Shiba seemed to know the answer to just about _everything_ …

"I wonder if he knows this one, too?" she asked Arisawa sarcastically.

For a moment the girl's eyes widened, and she choked out a giggle. Orihime broke out into a grin.

"Excuse me?" asked the instructor. Oh no, she was talking to them.

"Yes, sensei?" Orihime asked back, hands gripping the edge of her paper nervously.

With a deep scowl, the instructor said, "You two can see me after class, whenever you finish giggling, that is."

Orihime face fell, but she nodded anyway.

She really had to say that joke, didn't she? She felt so stupid! Gods, she didn't even want to look at Arisawa, now she felt so guilty.

An hour of so later, the class ended. Everyone filed out, and she and Tatsuki were brought to the front of the room. This was one lecture Orihime was _not_ looking forward to.

She didn't listen to it, not really. The instructor was saying something about the training of Shinigami being "invaluable" and how the two girls should try and take their studies more seriously. She also told them that they won't be getting any demerits over this, but that they do have to dust off all the mats for the next incoming class.

"Hopefully, it will give you some time to consider what you are truly here for," she finished. Just as she said that she opened up the storage closet in the back. Orihime counted ten mats over the woman's shoulder. It certainly could have been worse.

"When you are finished," the woman added, "you are free to go off to lunch." She left after that, shutting the door quietly behind her.

The second the door shut, Orihime let out a long sigh. She took a second look at their workload, and grabbed the top mat, dragging it down with some difficulty.

"Sorry," was the first thing she said. "I probably should have kept my mouth shut."

Arisawa snorted, grabbing a second mat. Orihime was sure that would be all she would get from the girl.

"Teach' needs to pull the stick out of her ass."

Orihime gasped, dropping her mat immediately. "Hey! You talked to me!"

Arisawa frowned. "I was talking to you before."

"Saying one word and then letting the other person talk at you isn't 'talking'," Orihime said with a half-smile. Arisawa's ears turned pink at that.

"Well, maybe I just didn't have much to say. Now I do, and I thought your joke was funny."

Was it the way Orihime wanted Arisawa to start talking to her, no, but hey, it seemed to work. Hearing her roommate actually speak to her just put a smile on Orihime's face, and since the girl seemed to be in a talking mood, finally…

"I'm Orihime Inoue! It's very nice to meet you, and I hope we have a wonderful year," she said with a deep bow. Out of the corner of her eye she looked at Arisawa expectantly.

The girl cracked a smile, giving her own bow. "I'm Tatsuki Arisawa. I hope we have a pleasant year, together."

Orihime felt giddy when she grabbed the broom from inside the closet. Never had she been so happy about cleaning before! She'd never cleaned a training mat before, but she'd beaten her fair share of rugs. She knew from experience two could finish the job pretty quickly. So, with a bit of maneuvering, and a lot of collaboration, they worked at the pile, gossiping about various teachers to pass the time.

The conversation was still more one-sided than most but having lived with a very quiet person for many years in the form of Chad, Orihime knew the difference between someone not responding because they want you to leave and someone just being on the quiet side while still enjoying your company. This was the latter, definitely.

They got through the mats in record time, and with a sigh of relief, Orihime said, "Finally, we can go to lunch. Chad's probably wondering where I am by now."

"Chad?" Tatsuki asked with a raised eyebrow. That was the reaction his name _usually_ got. Orihime nodded.

"He's an old friend." Then, as if a lightbulb went off, Orihime clasped her hands in front of her, eyes practically sparkling as she exclaimed, "You should come meet him! You'd two would get along so well."

Tatsuki rubbed the back of her neck, considering, and for a moment, Orihime thought she was going to turn the offer down. Instead, the girl smiled.

"Sounds great."

…

Things went a little differently after that day. To the outside observer, not much had changed. Orihime was still following Tatsuki around like a lost puppy, chatting non-stop and getting excited over every little thing, but the two of them felt the difference with every little returned smile, casual touch, and shared lunch. For this first semester, the two saw each other every day, all day, and they found they didn't really mind.

If Orihime were to guess, she'd say that Tatsuki liked the company. (Which made sense. No one liked being along all the time.) Orihime knew she could get a bit grating at times, but her roommate really didn't seem to mind.

Orihime, on the other hand, just liked Tatsuki. She found the other girl a joy to be around. Tatsuki was funny when she wanted to be, aggressive when she wanted to be, laid back when she wanted to be, and so many other things, just when she wanted to be. She was strong in a way that Orihime was…well, not. (She was working on that, though.)

It certainly helped that Orihime had quiet a few things she could learn from her, more than she had realized, even.

"Goooooods," Orhime groaned into her hands. Her eyes were strained, her back ached, and she had been staring at these diagrams for _hours_. "How do they expect us to learn all these by the end of the week?!"

She wasn't even sure what all of these kendo stances were _for_. Weren't they supposed to be fighting real Hollows soon or something?

Looking over her shoulder, Tatsuki winced at the page. "Yeah, those. I feel pretty bad for you guys."

"You're in the same class. What do you mean 'you guys?'" Orihime asked with a pout.

"I already know them."

Orihime looked at Tatsuki, brows furrowed. She looked back at the diagrams, scrolling through. There were like thirty of them.

"…Really?" she asked.

"Really," Tatsuki said. "I had a tutor back in the day. I learned these ages ago."

Without any warning Orihime turned to Tatsuki, hands clasped, a pleading look in her eyes.

"Please teach me!" she begged.

Tatsuki glanced up at her, snorting as she turned to the next page of her own workbook. "Sure. Just bring that scroll to the training grounds tomorrow."

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she cried out. Then, she replayed Tatsuki's words with a frown. "Wait, we aren't starting now?"

"We can't really go to the grounds in the middle of the night," Tatsuki said with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Orihime agreed, "but I mean, I've got the scroll right here."

Tatsuki scoffed, closing her book. "You can't learn forms from a piece of paper. You've gotta actually do them if you want to get anywhere."

Looking down at the scroll, Orihime let out a, "Huh." Learning from the paper had been what she was trying to do this whole time. It had worked pretty well for the spells they were given, but…

Orihime rolled up the scroll and stowed it away. She'd been up for long enough, anyway.

…

As it turned out, Tatsuki was right. The next day they practiced, going slowly through each form one by one, saying the names as they did each pose. She didn't get it immediately. Actually, it took most of the week for her to memorize it all, but it wasn't nearly as hard as she thought it would be.

This was hardly the only course Orihime struggled in, though. All the teachers expected the exact same from each student, whether you were a clan's child with training like Tatsuki, or were some random kid like Orihime, who's previous experience with Shinigami began and ended with "I met one once and he told me to go here."

Still, she improved over time, and there were some that she was even pretty good at.

Orihime really liked her Kidō class. Sure, the terms were confusing at first, but the spells themselves, those actually made sense to her. Controlling Reiryoku came easily to Orihime and adding the spells on top of that was about as straightforward as it got.

It helped that the spells themselves were absolutely fascinating. What one could do just a few words was amazing. She finally felt like a real Shinigami! The instructors only had them working on the first few, but Orihime couldn't help but read ahead.

The first term went by startlingly quickly, and during it Orihime learned plenty about both being a Shinigami, as well as her roommate. However, through that entire term, Tatsuki never mentioned Ichigo Shiba even once.

Orihime didn't really meet him until the second term.

…

With this new term came loads of new changes. As grades went through and recommendations came in, the giant first year class started to be divided up accordingly. People were given different advanced classes, different choices in electives, and in some rare cases, different projected graduation times. There were no names for these distinctions. They were simply handed out and promptly gossiped about.

Orihime, much to her surprise, was given a few of these distinctions. Her new schedule looked very different from her old one. More than a few things have the words "Advanced" or "Accelerated" in front of them, and after checking with Tatsuki, she found out she was apparently put into some Kidō class that her roommate hadn't even heard of yet.

It was…overwhelming, to say the least.

"Hey, you should feel proud!" Tatsuki insisted.

"I do…" Orihime trailed off. It wasn't like the first term had been easy, like she _needed_ to be challenged suddenly. Her teachers thought otherwise, though. "You're right," she finally said. "I do feel proud!"

Tatsuki grinned.

Comparing schedules, it seemed that the two wouldn't be together all the time anymore. They shared a Hakuda class, and that was it. It was yet another change to add to the list but hardly the most major one.

"This," Orihime's new Zanjutsu sensei said, "is an Asauchi. You are to keep it on you at all times, and with enough luck and skill it _might_ turn into a Zanpakuto one day."

Each of them was handed a plain Katana that day, each completely indistinct from the other. Holding it, Orihime didn't feel anything in particular. It was cold and felt heavy when she attached it to her hip. Experimentally she decided to send a little jolt of Reiryoku its way, but it did nothing in response, like the cold hunk of metal it was.

(Orihime dutifully kept it on her person at all times, even putting it by her bed when she slept, making sure it was the very first thing she grabbed when she awoke.)

Maybe a day or so after getting an Asauchi, Orihime had her first class with Ichigo Shiba, no Tatsuki in sight.

The class was a relatively advanced Hohō class. (Relatively, because Orihime knew that Tatsuki had been placed into an even better one.) There were eight students, and in the classroom, there were eight seats for each of those students. Orihime was the last one in the door.

She saw one seat left, at the far end of the class, right next to Ichigo Shiba. With a heavy gulp, she took the seat silently.

Orihime had never seen Shiba up close before. Despite all that Chad said about him, she'd never met the boy. He assured her he was a nice person, but right now, Orihime felt intimidated.

He was a few heads taller than her with orange hair, not unlike Orihime's, that hung wildly around his ears. He had a closed off expression, one that made him look angry, even sitting at his desk casually as he was. If it weren't for what Chad had said, she probably would have just run out of the room the second he looked at her.

She didn't, of course. Steeling herself, she opened her mouth to try and say hello, or something benign like that. The teacher chose then to walk in and start class.

The class was entirely uneventful after that. Some questions were asked. Some demonstrations were done, and it was over quickly. However, she had more than just one class with Shiba, as it turned out.

With each class, Orihime learned a little more about Shiba.

He was quiet, really only speaking when spoken to. Like Tatsuki, when he did speak, it was curt to the point of being rude, even when addressing a teacher.

Still, he knew a lot about Shinigami, but despite that, never came off as arrogant. He never touted his knowledge or name around, and accepted correction without even batting an eye.

That being said, he did have quite the competitive streak. He took his lessons very seriously and relished in breaking his own records. His favorite person to compete _with_ was one Morikata Kujō, who seemed to enjoy it just as much as he did, if not more.

He was also very handsome, if Orihime was being honest with herself.

 _Wait, that part probably wasn't important…right?_

The second term passed much like the first, rapidly. Orihime found herself quickly swamped with work as the classes grew steeply in difficulty. It helped that there were a few things she could always look forward too, however. There was lunch every day with Tatsuki and Chad, and at the end of each week she got to go to her special Kidō class.

She was one of four to be in that particular class, and it was through that class that she was introduced to all of the unique jobs and duties you could have as a Shinigami. There were all the Divisions, of course, each with their own philosophy and duties, but then you had things like the specialized Corps, such as the Medics, the Kidō Corps, and the Onmitsukidō.

She was told that she could make it into the Kidō Corps, if she "kept up the good work". She tried to, desperately, almost.

The third term came quickly after that. It was the very last term of the school year, and it ended up being the most eventful by far.

It started off with a check on their progress with their Asauchi. A teacher interviewed each of them briefly, asking them some weird questions for a minute or two before telling them they could leave.

Orihime was asked about hearing strange voices, reoccurring dreams, or even just strong unexplained feelings. She couldn't really say much, in the end.

"Well," she finally admitted, "I guess I've been having a weird dream about butterflies lately."

The teacher paused in his notetaking.

"Butterflies?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yeah," Orihime nodded. "See, in it I'm walking through a forest, and these bright blue butterflies start swarming around my head. I can never get them to leave."

The man wrote this down with a nod, seeming very interested. Orihime didn't quite get it. It was just a weird dream. She remembered being a kid and dreaming about umeboshi at least once a week for a good couple of months.

The very next day, the term officially started, and along with their new schedules, they were given a separate special document.

"Squad…Assignments," Orihime read carefully.

"We're getting these already?" Tatsuki asked, already tearing through hers. She glanced over it, a steadily growing grin on her face. "Michuru Oyama and Yasutoru Sado! Sweet! Who'd you get?"

Orihime looked back down. "Morikata Kujō and Ichigo Shiba. Sensei is Ine Kuchiki."

Tatsuki's smile wavered.

"Kuchiki sensei, huh?" she asked. The excitement in her voice was suddenly strained. "I had her for my Hohō course. She's good, tough but good."

Orihime's heart broke a little at Tatsuki's change in mood, and sliding the document back into its place, she struggled to think of ways to change the subject. She didn't want her friend to be sad, but…

After a while, enough was enough.

"Hey…Tatsuki?" she asked gently.

"Yeah?"

"What happened, between you and Shiba, I mean?"

She didn't elaborate on the question, just stayed silent and waited for Tatsuki to say something on it, if anything. She wouldn't pressure Tatsuki on it, if the girl didn't like it, but… She _needed_ to ask. She needed to know what her friend was thinking every time she looked this sad.

Tatsuki sat down on her futon. She fiddled with her nails, inhaled a few times, and didn't say anything for a long while. Orihime stayed silent.

"I…" Tatsuki started. "It's kind of complicated."

Orihime nodded. She'd figured that much out.

"We grew up together, but, you know, things change," Tatsuki said with a shrug. "Now, whenever I see him, I just feel…" She let out a sigh. "Gods, I don't know anymore."

"He…didn't do anything bad, did he?"

"No, no, no," Tatsuki shook her head furiously. "What happened wasn't his fault." The girl's shoulders slumped defeated as she let out a sigh. "He probably thinks I'm mad at him, doesn't he?"

Without a word, Orihime moved to Tatsuki's side of the room, sitting down next to her. "You really should talk to him. Whatever made you sad probably made him sad, too."

"I…" The words seemed to get stuck in Tatsuki's throat, then. She struggled with them for a moment before shaking her head again, and with her eyes on her feet, a tenuous smile crept up on her face. "You're a good friend, you know that?"

Orihime offered her own smile, tightly squeezing Tatsuki's hand.

She wouldn't ask about Shiba for a while after that, but she sure would be seeing him often. In fact, the very next day, they were supposed to report with their new squads to their assigned Sensei.

Ine Kuchiki, or Kuchiki Sensei, as she was to be called, was a no-nonsense type of woman. She was very pretty being younger than many of Orihime's teachers. Her hair was pulled tightly away from her face into a careful bun, a pair of half-moon glasses resting delicately on her nose. She moved towards the waiting group with quick and light steps.

Their meeting area was nothing special, just a sitting area right outside of the mess hall, one that usually went unused during this time of year.

"Damn, it's freezing out here," Kujō said with a shaky grin, hands rubbing his arms furiously.

"Hey, you could always turn back and try again in Spring," Shiba suggested with a sly smile.

"Ha! You wish."

Kujō was a strange person, or at least Orihime thought he was. He apparently came from a smaller clan within the Soul Society. He had the mouth of a Rukongai brat with all the good breeding of a noble. He was a rather heavyset person, was maybe a little older than Orihime, and had a rather odd way of looking at things. Orihime quite liked him.

Kuchiki Sensei cleared her throat, gaining their attention in an instant.

"Many squads are meeting outside this year due to a shortage of space," she explained, "Now, if we may begin."

She gave them each a careful look that may as well have been a harsh glare. They each gave her a uniform, "Yes, sir!"

"I'm glad you all seem to know each other," she started, "as that will make the coming weeks much easier. You will be working together for the duration of your career here at Shin'ō Academy. You will practice together, you will go on missions together, and you will learn together until the day you graduate together."

"Wait, are we going on missions, already?" Kujō asked with a grin.

"…Yes," Kuchiki Sensei answered carefully. "Our first mission will be quite soon, actually. Though I warn you, you will quickly learn that the comfort of a classroom is far different from the uncertainty found in the World of the Living. The main goal of our time together is to unlock your true potential through time in the field. I will, of course, be with you to try and keep you safe, but you must remember to look out for each other as well. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir!" they all chorused.

"Good, then allow me to show you our first assignment."

As it turned out, "quite soon" meant, "next week." They were all quickly handed the pertinent documents, all organized the same way the Gotei Thirteen organized their own paperwork, apparently. Kuchiki Sensei walked them all through their first assignment.

They were to stay in a designated area in the World of the Living for exactly three days. They would be learning standard mission procedures, would do a bit of camping, and then come straight back. Orihime would have called it boring were it not for the fact that it would take place in the World of the Living.

Growing up in the Rukongai, almost everyone Orihime knew came from the World of the Living, including her late brother. They all insisted it was nothing special but Orihime wasn't convinced. She'd heard far too many wonderful stories about human cities and all the other amazing places there. Having been born in the Seireitei, Orihime had never been there, but she had made sure to glean every possible detail she could from Chad (though it seemed his memory of the place was growing fuzzier with each passing day).

The excitement must have been clear on Orihime's face. Kujō chuckled. Kuchiki Sensei just sighed.

"We'll be staying in a remote area on the human island of Hokkaidō. The weather will be harsh, so pack smartly but lightly. Any questions?"

Oh, they had a few.

…

The next week was spent in their regular classes, but hardly anyone seemed to be paying attention. The anticipation was palpable as everyone and anyone seemed to be looking forward to finally getting out there and seeing something amazing, maybe even _doing_ something amazing. Then again, it might have just been Orihime, according to Tatsuki, at least.

This generally fast paced year seemed to drag on just for this one week. When the week passed and the day came however, it felt like it was well worth the wait.

The group of four met in a remote area of the Academy, a Senkaimon pre-prepared for them. Orihime was already wearing her extra needed layers, with an one more packed away, along with a few other necessities. She gripped her bag tightly, barely able to contain herself.

"Stay close," was the last thing Kuchiki Sensei said right before turning away and walking under the grand arch. Kujō followed, Shiba heading in right after, and with some nervous hesitation, Orihime went in as well.

The viscous dripping walls weren't really what Orihime had expected. Leaving the Senkaimon, however and stepping onto the soft snowy ground on the other side, that was amazing.

It was a colder climate than anything Orihime had ever felt, and it was gorgeous. Tall leafless trees surrounded them, going up the rough terrain. It was quiet, peaceful, everything covered in a thick layer of white snow, and just beyond the trees, Orihime could see mountain after mountain after mountain. It was wilder and more beautiful than what she thought possible.

"It's beautiful now," Kuchiki Sensei commented, "but the weather here can turn quickly, especially at this time of year. Finding shelter should always be the first priority for a mission such as this. I will show you how."

They walked down the mountain, quickly finding a reliable enough path. There were a few stumbles here and there, and occasionally Kuchiki Sensei would Shunpō ahead, scoping things out before either joining them again and continuing or steering them a different way entirely. All the way she spoke softly telling them as much as she could.

"Abandoned human settlements are ideal, but not always reliable," she advised. "They are often not as abandoned as they appear. Building a shelter is a good skill to have, but not one we'll be learning now. Today, we will try and find a cave good enough to block us from the elements, one that isn't already occupied."

"By…humans?" Orihime asked.

"Animals," Sensei corrected, "primarily bears. They aren't too difficult to deal with, but it's important to try and effect the World of the Living as little as possible, bears included. That's a part of the reason we hunt the Hollows that come here. They do not follow that rule."

She stopped her speech for a moment, looking into the distance. Her eyes narrowed for a moment right before she Shunpō'd ahead. She was back in a flash.

"I've found our shelter for the night."

The three are led forward a ways to what amounts to a small hole in the side of the mountain that goes about to Orihime's knees, not too far from a stream. It doesn't look like much. In fact, Orihime was amazed that her Sensei found it at all.

She was also amazed by seeing her dignified Sensei crawl into the place on her hands and knees right before calling them in.

The inside of the cave was small (enough so that Shiba had to duck his head to keep it from hitting the top), unimpressive, dark, and cold, but Kuchiki Sensei insisted it would work. She immediately moved to assign them all various tasks like finding the right wood as well as a decent sized rock to act as a door. The spend a few hours assembling the shelter, and by the time they were done, Orihime was starving. Kuchiki Sensei promised to teach them how to get fresh food out here later, but for now, they had rations.

When they sat around their newly assembled fire, eating their stale prepackaged bars of "food", the group felt like they had really earned the break. They had turned this cave into something semi-livable, the temperature inside already being a great deal better than what it was outside. The World of the Living was beautiful, but it sure was dangerous.

This break, of course, didn't last long, and their tests only continued from there. Still, it wasn't so bad, especially with them working together. As it turned out, Kujō knew how to fish, even with very limited supplies, Orihime could start a fire in a pinch with a single Kidō Spell, and Shiba could sense danger almost as well as Kuchiki Sensei, which certainly made heading out without the woman less scary.

Case in point: Right now. Orihime and Shiba were heading back from the final patrol of the evening.

Despite being aware of each other for the better part of a year, Orihime and Shiba had never really _talked_. Conversations between them tended to be short and awkward. So, Orihime was looking forward to this little excursion ending quickly.

They'd barely said a single word to each other for the whole walk when suddenly, out of the blue, Shiba said, "I think I get it, now."

"…Hm?"

"My dad's always talking about how he wishes he were sent out here more often. I think I get why he likes it, is what I'm saying," he said with a shrug.

"Oh," Orihime sounded. Then, if only to be polite continued with, "Your dad, he's the Shinigami Captain, right?"

Shiba nodded, then paused in his steps for a moment. "Sorry, that was probably a weird thing to say."

"No, no," Orihime insisted, "I get it, too. This place is kind of amazing. The Rukongai is too crowded. The Seireitei is too clean. This place just kind of…is."

"Yeah, exactly!" he exclaimed.

Then, looking at her, his eyes widened. She grabbed Orihime by the shoulders and shoved them both to the ground. Over them, Orihime heard a great bone-chilling roar.

"Shit!" Shiba cursed, drawing his Asauchi. Orihime moved to do the same, but he shook his head. "You do Spells, right? Get a bit one ready. I'll hold it off."

Orihime nodded, mind flitting through the possible spells before she settled on one, muttering the words and gathering a dense energy around the tips of her fingers.

 _A Hollow_. It was much more terrifying than she had imagined. Its energy sucked the breath out of her, and its horrifying form made it even worse.

It stood on two legs, a grimacing white mask on its huge head with long arms that ended in wicked clawed hands that brushed the ground. These claws were aimed right for Shiba, attempting to slice him in half. She chanted faster, quickly finishing the spell.

"Hadō Number Four, Byakurai!"

High density lighting shot out of the tips of her fingers, and just when she thought she had it, the Hollow moved forward, bearing down on Shiba, and the attack missed, harmlessly hitting a tree behind.

Orihime's hands were shaking. Were they shaking before or was this new? She couldn't tell.

(She'd done that spell perfectly in class just last week. What gave?)

Shaking her head, Orihime started muttering a different spell entirely. She could see that Shiba looked downright desperate as a fumble had the Hollow moving forward and tearing a deep gash into his upper arm. It looked like it was about to go for another when Orihime finally finished the incantation.

"Hadō Number Twelve, Fushibi!"

This one was much stronger Orihime having only learned it recently, and the second it released she realized something went wrong. It should have gone much faster, hit much harder.

It impacted with the Hollow right in the chest, pushing it back and keeping it from landing another hid on Shiba. Still, it was only singed, nothing more. It went in again, angry, and Orihime tried to think of a different spell.

"Tried" was the key word there. This was what she was good at, right? Then why was she messing up, now?!

Whatever half-baked spell was on her lips, Orihime stopped. With much frustration she drew her sword, moving in to help. Shiba looked both relieved and worried by this development.

Zanjutsu was never Orihime's strong suit. Tatsuki got her through the classes, but Orihime was always pretty clumsy at it. Her Asauchi always felt unbalanced and heavy in her hand, and now it was costing her. She struggled under the weight of every strike.

When Shiba got knocked down by a heavy swipe from the Hollow, she felt like sobbing.

 _What could she do? What could she do?_

That question kept going through her head, sword trembling in her grip. Just when she thought she would die without ever thinking of an answer a bolt of lightning shot out above her going right through the Hollow's head.

It fell and over it ran Kuchiki Sensei, face pinched with worry.

"Are you two alright?" she asked immediately, heading right towards them. Kujō was directly behind her.

Orihime couldn't even speak. She just stood there, swaying slightly as she lifted a hand and pointed to Shiba who had just started trying to pick himself off the ground. Kuchiki Sensei's eyes widened, and she rushed to her student's side.

"I'm calling this mission off immediately. There were _not_ supposed to be Hollows here," she said, levering him up into a sitting position. "Kujō get out the field dressings. Do exactly as I say."

He drew out compresses, bandages, and cloths, looking near distraught. All the while, Shiba tried to keep a steady and calm expression. This effort failed miserably the moment Kujō pressed a disinfected cloth to the wound.

He grimaced, letting out a hiss, screwing his eyes shut. When he opened them, they settled first on Orihime. He forced a shaky smile on his face. "It's not as bad as it looks, Orihime," he said.

She couldn't even bring herself to be annoyed at the use of her first name. All she could do was think of that question.

 _What can I do? What can I do?_

She sheathed her Asauchi and looked down at her hands. There might be just one thing.

Kneeling down, Orihime got a good look at the wound, not being able to hide her grimace. It was gaping and ugly, three parallel slashes going from shoulder to breast. He'd have to be taken back to the infirmary immediately and with night falling as quickly as it was, that was easier said than done.

"May I?" she asked hesitantly, hand reaching for the cloth and compress.

"Uh…go ahead," Kujō said.

When Orihime didn't hear Sensei object either she pressed on. She continued with her teacher's instructions, making sure to hold everything together properly. As she did this, she muttered something to herself, a Spell.

A blue glow emanated from the hand holding the compress. Within seconds the bleeding stopped. Only then did she allow whatever had gripped her heart to loosen.

 _That. I can do that._

"That's amazing," Kuchiki Sensei said. "I didn't think they taught first years those kinds of spells."

Letting out a breathless laugh, Orihime answered, "They don't, usually. I'm taking the accelerated Kidō classes."

Sensei nodded steadily. "We _will_ discuss this incident later," she warned. "For now, bandage up the wound and keep him warm. We can leave tomorrow morning when it's safer."

Orihime and Kujō gave her a "yes sir", Shiba's coming out as a mumble, something that Kuchiki Sensei probably only let slide due to his condition. That spell of Orihime's did have a pain easing effect, after all. There was a fair chance he would feel out of it for a little while.

As Kuchiki Sensei started to direct them to the cave, a smile twitched on Shiba's lips.

"Knew you could do it," he said quietly.

Orihime's first instinct was to yell at him. He was literally on the ground a moment before because she _couldn't_ do it, and now he's saying she _could?_

He really believed in her, the whole time?

In the end, all she did was nod. Kujō supported Shiba (no, it's Ichigo. If he's going to call her Orihime, she might as well call him Ichigo) all the way to the shelter. The bundled him up as best as they could and quickly made plans to leave at daybreak. During all that, Orihime had plenty of time to think.

She replayed today's events in her head. A lot happened in such little time, but then again, wasn't that just the theme of this entire year? (And the year wasn't even over yet.) Tatsuki would, of course, want to know everything about what had happened today, though Orihime would probably skim over the parts involving Ichigo.

 _Ichigo_

Even thinking about using his first name made her blush a little, though it was entirely possible this was about more than just the name.

 _No, no, nope, just the name!_

Then again…

She looked back to him, seeing as he flashed her a reassuring grin that made her heart flutter. She wasn't sure what to call this feeling yet, but she was sure there was something there.

…

However, that was a long time ago.

Orihime sat at her little desk in the Fourth Division sipping a cup of freshly brewed tea. It was a nice blend, fruity and with loads of caffeine. A second sip and her mind was back to the present and focused on the pile of work in front of her.

It had been a _very_ long time since she'd last thought about those days. They seemed so distant, though she remembered them so vividly. Maybe now, when she had such a workload, wasn't the time to be reminiscing, but somehow, the memories brought her comfort.

She took one last long sip before placing her cup back, right next to an old silk scrap wrapped tightly around a pair of hair pins. She got back to work.

* * *

 **So…That's it! That's the end of the arc and with it comes the Hiatus. This was inevitable, and though it pains me to say it, it not be coming until late August, maybe later. I have a lot of REAL LIFE things to sort through as I am graduating with my degree within a week of me publishing this. Hopefully once I get through all of that we can be back to our regularly scheduled programming, but for now I need some TIME.**

 **Until then, though, please send me your love. I write this fic mostly for myself and for my own love of the series, but it really helps when I see you all excited for more. Leave a comment. Take this baby to 100+ Kudos/Favorite while I'm gone. Find other people who still care about Bleach! I know we are still out there!**

 **I will see you later.**


	31. XXXI

**Wow, guys. It's been a while! I've settled many an affair IRL, and am ready for a nice and easy Saturday release schedule. I really want to just get into it, but I gotta at least throw this in.**

 **I love this arc, a lot, actually, but I also decided to play fast and loose with it in a way that I didn't the others. There will be twists. There will be turns, and many a good time will be had. This chapter is easily the closest to my initial vision I had for this story, but I'd rather not spoil why. Instead, just enjoy. I got about twenty of these in store for you, here.**

* * *

Part I

There was something nostalgic about walking into class 1-3 again, or at least Rukia thought there was. She could hear everyone talking and laughing, exchanging stories about what happened over the break, and the sigh of relief she felt go through her when she crossed the threshold was as surprising as it was satisfying. For the first time in a while she felt perfectly normal.

(Well, she felt _almost_ normal. She'd brought two major souvenirs back from the Soul Society, after all. There were the scars from her fights, most made nearly invisible thanks to Orihime's excellent healing, and the Combat Pass, now strapped to her hip that she was figuring the functions of as she went along.)

(For example, as strange looking as it was, no one else in class seemed to comment on it, or even notice it. She was pretty sure she could dangle it in their faces, and they wouldn't say a single word.)

Still, being here was comforting. That was certain.

"The training camp was amazing," Mai beamed. "Our Captain took so many photos. I should totally bring them!"

"That sounds so _cool_ ," Michuru said wistfully. "My club didn't have anything like that."

"Yeah," Chizuru added with a pout, "all I got to do was work at my uncle's dumb farm."

"What about you, Rukia?" Michuru asked suddenly. "What did you do over summer?"

For a split second Rukia panicked. "Uh…" she stuttered, "nothing special. I mostly just stayed at home."

Michuru's forlorn expression turned into a mischievous smile. "You're a terrible liar, you know that? I _know_ you did something!"

"I'm being honest!" Rukia insisted. Michuru only crowded her further, eyes accusing. Rukia inched back. "Well," she corrected, "I might have helped at my Aunt's shop a bit, but that was it!"

" _Oh!_ " Chizuru said slyly. "You worked at a shop, huh? You meet any cute guys? _Any cute girls?_ "

Rukia paused, brain working quickly. Orihime probably counted, right?

"I guess," she answered with a shrug. Chizuru's smile fell back into a pout at that.

"You're just no fun, are you?"

Michuru let out a chuckle. "I don't think she's going to spill, guys. What about you, Mahana. Did you do anything cool?"

"Well…"

The conversation stayed firmly off Rukia for the time being, something that she was pretty glad for. Besides, she liked just listening to the girls talk about what they did over break. It gave her something to look forward to for when things finally settled down.

Around when the conversation started to peter out, Rukia's attention was taken by a tattooed arm leaning against her desk. She glanced up to see Renji with a crooked smile on his face.

"You sure look happy," he said.

"Most people lead with a 'hello', you know," she said flatly. He shot her a sharp grin. This grin stopped when he looked up, towards the hallway, hearing someone loudly run towards the class. That someone busted the door in, a big dopy smile on his face.

"RENJI!" yelled Keigo. He ran straight towards the boy.

With a bored look on his face Renji took one step to the left, foot outstretched, and Keigo tripped over it crashing loudly to the ground. Rukia had to choke back her laughter.

"We're feeling energetic today," Renji said with a quirked eyebrow. Keigo picked himself up, still smiling.

"You don't even know the half of it!" he nearly squealed. "This might have been the best summer ever!"

This was a bit much, even for Keigo, Rukia thought. Knowing him, he must have met a girl.

"That's good to hear," she said over her own giggles. He didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, if only I could tell you two," he sighed out, finally sitting down. He glanced at her, a flash of curiosity on his face. "Hey, that's a pretty cool charm. Where'd you get it?"

Rukia and Renji stiffened in alarm. They exchanged a meaningful glance.

"Uh…thanks. It…was a gift," she muttered out.

 _Brrriiing!_

"Settle down, everyone," their homeroom teacher droned. The chatter instantly quieted. "I'm sure you all had very interesting summers, but right now, it's time to focus! Am I clear?"

 _"_ _Yes Ma'am!"_

As soothing as it was, at the end of the day, school was just school. Roll was called, Assignments were passed out, and classes happened as normal. The day went by peacefully.

 _Too peacefully,_ Rukia thought as she packed her bags. She reached for her math workbook, but just before she could grasp it a loud noise came from her hip, startling her.

 _"_ _Hollow! Hollow! Hollow!"_

She fumbled for her combat pass, nearly dropping it twice. Why exactly didn't Ukitake tell her it could do that?!

 _"_ _Hollow! Hollow! Hollow!"_

Shoving the rest of her desk into her bag with barely a glance, she turned to her friend. "Renji!" she stage-whispered.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard it!" He was already rushing towards the door.

On instinct, she turned to Ishida, just about to order him to get moving, but for some reason he wouldn't even meet her eye.

Something in her heart wrenched at that, but she hardly had time to dwell on it. She ran out of the classroom, whispers in her wake. They ran all the way to the front, dodging the arts teacher that yelled at them for it. The two skidded to a stop only when they reached the shoe lockers.

"You know where it is, right?" Renji asked, fumbling to change out of his uniform shoes.

"I'm still working on that part!"

A deep frown on her face, Rukia multi-tasked changing into her leather shoes and turning the Combat Pass in her hand. It had finally stopped screaming, but now it just seemed like a useless block of wood again. If there was a way to track Hollows with it, in the same way that Ichigo's phone could, she certainly couldn't figure it out.

"Wanna work on it faster?" Renji griped.

"If you wanna try, be my guest!" she yelled, throwing it at him. It seemed she'd just have to do this the old-fashioned way. Rukia closed her eyes tightly, trying to concentrate. Hopefully she'd be able to figure out at least what direction it was in by Reiatsu alone.

It wasn't very far, that much she could tell. In fact, it seemed to be… She ran out the door.

"Found it!" she cried. Renji stumbled behind her, forcing his shoes on the rest of the way.

The second they left the gate Rukia veered left, Renji sprinting behind. She kept her senses open, fine tuning her directions as she went. That wasn't the only thing she was searching for, though.

"I think we're getting close," Renji growled, throwing back her Combat Pass. "You'd better 'Shinigami Up' fast!"

"Paku isn't here to help me with this one!" Rukia bit out, fumbling a catch. "I can't just leave my body lying around anywhere!"

Renji began to snap back at her, but before he could get so much as a word out an ear-splitting roar interrupted them. The two nearly tripped over each other stopping before making a sharp right toward a construction site.

What met them was a three-meter-tall monster on all fours, tearing through the structures as if they had personally offended it. Its long bony limbs stuck out at odd angles.

Then, it drew back, making a sickly sound. It lurched forward a large white mass coming from its mouth and sticking to several beams. It solidified like concrete upon impact.

Great, the ones with gimmicks were always tricky.

Renji activated his spikes, a determined look on his face. "Find somewhere to put your body. I'll hold this bastard off." He charged at it.

Eyes darting around, Rukia quickly considered her options. The area they were in was pretty much abandoned, all workers probably having jumped ship the second a _ghost_ started tearing through everything. In the end she just dragged herself behind a pile of two by fours that seemed relatively untouched, hoping that there were no wandering perverts to worry about here.

With that she slammed her Combat Pass into her chest and "Shinigami'd Up" as Renji had so eloquently put it. She ran into the fray.

Her friend had managed on his own well enough. She saw as he jumped off a nearby pylon, slamming into the creature, and slicing deeply into its arm, drawing out a loud shriek. It batted him away before immediately turning to her, letting out an intimidating growl before trying for another spitting attack.

Rukia dodged left, alarmed as some of it splattered out, a sizable chunk sticking to the side of her face and missing her eye by sheer luck. She resisted the urge to try and wipe it away because dear _god_ was it gross! Renji's luck ended up being even worse, a chunk sticking onto his arm. He let out a curse when he realized the spike it covered wouldn't even budge.

"Dammit!" he huffed. Jumping back, he dodged the second glob of goo a little better, though a bit did still get on his shirt. He grimaced. "You sure took your time!" he yelled at her.

"I'll remember that next time my body ends up in another ambulance," she grumbled back.

They weaved around each other, just starting to understand the Hollow's rhythm. Renji must have seen an opening then, because he darted forward right after.

"I'll keep it distracted!" he yelled back. "Just focus on the mask!"

Rukia nodded, watching as Renji began to engage the thing at close quarters. She charged the tip of her Zanpakuto with just enough Reiryoku to give it an extra boost, and the second its face went up, crying in pain from a sliced-up hand, she sprung forward, stabbing right through its mask.

It and all the goo it left behind dissipated into nothing.

" _That_ could have been a lot worse," Renji said. He flexed his now free arm appreciatively.

Suddenly, a voice yelled behind them, "HEY!" Rukia and Renji turned, more than a little confused.

Running at them was a Shinigami, not very strong by the looks of things. He had the uniform, but no badge to go with, so he was most likely unranked. He came at them, huffing and puffing, sweat going down his heavyset brow, though his afro stayed perfectly in place.

"Stop right there!" he started again. "Who the heck are you?!"

Renji looked at him flatly. "Who are you?"

This had the man stumbling back, startled. For a moment he fumbled for something in his robes, brow furrowed, before he finally pulled out a tightly rolled piece of paper, a smug smile on his face. He presented it to them with a flourish.

" _I'm_ Kurumundi Zennosuke. I'm the Shinigami hand-picked to replace Ichigo Shiba!"

He finished his rant with a rather sparkly grin. This grin wavered when the looks Renji and Rukia gave him refused to change. Instead, she plucked her Combat Pass off her hip, flashing it at him.

" _I'm_ Rukia Orikasa," she clarified, "Substitute Shinigami, here on official business."

Kuronosuke leaned in closer, studying Rukia's Pass, and she had to resist the urge to spring back, or worse, smack him with it. (She would if he invaded her personal space for any longer.)

"See, it's all legit," Renji drawled out. "So, why don't you stop bothering us, already? We took out the Hollow, didn't we, you creepy ba–"

"Nice try," Kuronosuke interjected, hand on his Zanpakuto, "but I've never seen that thing before in my life! Now, tell me who you _really_ are or there will be consequences!"

Rukia rolled her eyes so hard she was surprised they didn't fall right out of her head.

 _"_ _Hollow! Hollow! Hollow!"_

"Ah, great," she groaned, though she was admittedly glad for the diversion. "We do _not_ have time for this! Either help us out or get out of our way!"

The glare she sent the Shinigami was so strong, he seemed to shrink back. Even Renji's eyes widened a bit. When he didn't make another move, she simply growled, grabbing onto Renji's hand and dragging him in the direction of her body.

Part II

 _"_ _Hollow! Hollow! Hollow!"_

Renji could barely even hear that annoying Combat Pass. The only thing that was going through his head was _Rukia's holding my hand, Rukia's holding my hand, what do I do Rukia's holding my hand–!_

He was freaking out, just a little.

His heart was pounding. Her hand felt so small and soft. Was this the best thing he'd ever felt or the worst? He had no goddamn idea.

For as dense as he _knew_ he could be (no he didn't need Ishida reminding him every five seconds) he realized what was going on, here. The problem was, he had no idea what to do about it. Was this the right time to say something? Did the "right time" even exist, or was that just something they made up for Chick-Flicks? If he ever came across this mythical "right time" what would he even say?

 _Oh, I know I'm your best friend, but I also have a HUGE crush on you and want to be more than that, but if you don't feel the same please forget I even said anything because I'd probably die on the spot from awkwardness!_

Honestly, being in denial felt so much better. He hoped he could at least trick himself back into it for as long as this next fight would take.

(It didn't work, but he did end up getting a few shots at it.)

Three Hollows in one night. That must have been a record. He'd realized Karakura Town was ghost infested, but this was just ridiculous. Exhaustion didn't even begin to cover what he was feeling as the two stumbled home.

God, even sweaty and tired, Rukia still looked cute.

"So!" he yelled suddenly, derailing his own thoughts, "No Paku, huh?"

Rukia let out a long sigh, like she just had to relive something awful. "Something" was probably a conversation with Paku.

"She said she wants to be her 'own human, now,'" she explained with air quotes. "I don't really know what she meant by that, but I think she just wants to be more independent, or something."

"You think she meant, 'her own person?'" he asked, nose wrinkled.

"Maybe." She gave an exaggerated shrug. "Either way, it's not like we can make her get back into the bunny if she doesn't want to. Really, I'm just glad I have Chappy back."

"Dork," he snorted automatically. She punched him in the arm.

" _Anyway,_ " she stressed with a glare, "she's staying with Kukaku now, and I couldn't be happier."

Renji frowned at the woman's name. Rukia chewed her lip, unsure.

Kukaku… He didn't like thinking about that woman when he had a choice. Then again, he didn't like anyone who would trick him right into a coup. He avoided the shop when he could but realized not too long ago that Rukia's opinion was a little more complicated.

 _"_ _She had her reasons,"_ his friend had argued, _"and she doesn't owe it to us to explain them all. She_ _maybe_ _owes it to Ichigo."_

He understood there was some weird history there between Rukia and Lady Shiba, but he didn't understand her impulse to defend the woman.

"It's weird, right?" she suddenly asked.

"The, uh, Paku wanting freedom bit, or the part where she's staying with Kukaku?"

"No, not that," Rukia said, shaking her head. "It's just…"

She hesitated for a long moment, stopping in her lumbering walk.

Then, she blurted out, "My brother knew Kukaku. That's weird, right?"

He stopped next to her; eyes wide. "Wait, what?"

"He knows her," she repeated. "I can't figure out why, either. He can't see Spirits; I've never sensed _anything_ from him. So, why would he know a Shinigami?"

"…Maybe he helped her with some legal stuff?" He offered. It sounded lame, even to his ears.

"Maybe," she said quietly.

Great, it seemed like the oddities were just piling up, here.

"Well, ask him, then," he tried. "Force an honest answer out of him, if you have to. I'm planning on doing the same with my mom!"

"Please, you couldn't force your mom to do anything if you tried," she said flatly.

She…had a point.

"That's changing today!" he exclaimed, anyway. She let out a chuckle.

It was probably just a coincidence, he told himself. Or at least, he hoped it was, for both of their sakes.

Part III

Uryuu tried not to watch as Orikasa and Abarai ran off to the day's threat. He tried not to listen to the shrill sound of her Combat Pass' alert. He instead quietly put his books into his bag and slowly made his way out of the school, not catching sight of them for the rest of the day.

Really, this wasn't terribly different from last Semester. He used to ignore them all the time, feeling somewhat smug as they scrambled about like chickens with their heads cut off every time a Hollow appeared.

That was before he joined them, though.

He stopped under streetlight, bag swinging beside him. Suddenly, going home to an empty apartment didn't sound very appealing.

The Quincy shook his head at that, glancing down at the street that would lead him there and taking a sharp right. If going home wasn't an option, then his _second_ favorite place in Karakura Town would just have to do.

One short walk later and he was opening the front door to a small shop, an old tinkling bell announcing his presence. The sign read "Karakura Crafting Supplies."

"Uryuu!" a gentle voice called from behind the counter. "I haven't seen you in ages."

"I had a rather hectic summer, Mrs. Hoshino," he explained. "I was out of town for the most of it."

"How exciting! You'll have to tell me all about it. Now, what do you need, dear?"

What he needed was a distraction, but he didn't want to tell her that. Instead, he offered an arbitrary list of things that he knew he could use soon enough.

Mrs. Hoshino was an older lady of about eighty years, though he admittedly wasn't sure. She'd been here running this shop since before he was born, and according to her beleaguered children that lived in main Tokyo, she wasn't planning on stopping any time soon. Luckily, she didn't have to run the shop alone. In fact, her assistant was brushing against Uryuu's leg right that moment.

"Hey, Kaoru," he said softly. Uryuu crouched down, giving the aging pug a thorough scratching behind the ears. It was good to see the old boy still had some energy in him, though the second he'd had enough he still waddled away to plop down at his station, the pet bed behind the desk.

When it wasn't just Kaoru and Mrs. Hoshino, Uryuu would work here part time, usually during breaks. It was just something to do at a place he liked with a person he liked. The bit of spending money he earned from the gig certainly helped, though.

Hell, maybe he needed that right now, something to do.

"Mrs. Hoshino," he started.

She paused in her typing, looking up from the register through her thick glasses. "Hm?"

"Would it be alright if I worked part time here, again?"

Her eyes widened a bit, though the effect was quite odd through her lenses. "Don't you have school?" she asked.

"I do, but my school allows part-time jobs."

She nodded, shooting him an odd look before continuing her typing. He probably needed to explain himself here, at least a little. Letting out a sigh he thought of a way to put this that wouldn't mention Quincy, Shinigami, or Hollows.

"….There's…this _club_ I'm in," he started, "Or, I was in it. I had to quit, but I didn't really want to."

"Couldn't you just rejoin, dear?"

"It's not that easy."

Mrs. Hoshino handed him his receipt, a deep frown on her face. "I do love having you here, but it doesn't sound like you're very sure about this.

"Listen, maybe there is something you can do, but you just haven't thought of it, yet. You should think it over some, at least give it tonight. If you come back tomorrow and tell me the same thing, I'll let you come back, but until then…" She handed him his bag of supplies with a smile. He smiled back.

"Thanks." He took the bag, giving her a bow.

He paid for the items, gave one last goodbye to Kaoru and walked out, very slowly heading home.

Was the woman severely underestimating his problem? Probably, but one thing Uryuu knew about Mrs. Hoshino was that she was always sincere. This wasn't a problem he could just sleep over, but maybe he couldn't do as little as he first assumed. Maybe somewhere there was a solution, but he just hadn't thought of it, yet.

He stopped once again, an idea brewing.

Uryuu walked right past his apartment, not even bothering to drop off his supplies. It was still light out, he reasoned. He could get back before too late. The Quincy training grounds weren't even that far from here.

(Right by the weapons armory was a bookshelf, stacked to the brim with ancient journals, classical texts, even Quincy poetry. It was probably the last reservoir of old Quincy knowledge in Karakura. If there was an answer to his problem, it would be there.)

For the first time in a while, Uryuu could feel hope again. As his pace quickened, he thought that he may just have a chance. He'd get his powers back.

Part IV

Renji practically stormed into his house. He dropped his bag onto the first surface it hit and collapsed face first on the couch before he even had a chance to get around the armrest.

"You have a long day?" his mom asked with a chuckle. She flipped the channel blowing past the news, a nature documentary, and then settling on a gameshow.

He groaned loudly. She laughed louder, patting him on the back with the hand holding the remote.

"It's leftovers today," she said suddenly. "What do you want?"

He thought for a moment, opening one eye and peering up at her. "Curry?"

"Curry it is!" She sprung up with a clap, and he sent her a silent thank you. Now that he was horizontal his legs didn't seem to want to work anymore. Why did that last Hollow have to have goddamn super-speed?

He watched his mom out of the corner of his eye as she heated up just enough curry and rice for the two of them. His mind flashed back to the conversation he had with Rukia and thought hey, it's now or never.

"Hey, Mom?" he asked.

"Yeah?" She closed the microwave door.

"I've been wondering…" He rubbed the back of his neck, completely unsure of how to say this in a way that didn't sound insane. "Did anything strange happen while you were pregnant with me?"

Her eyes widened, and his breathing stopped. Something _did_.

"Wait, you actually _want_ to hear a pregnancy story?" she asked incredulously. Renji let out a groan.

"Yes, I want to," he said, " _about_ something strange that _maybe_ happened."

She leaned against the counter, and with humor in her voice said, "You're going to have to be more specific, bud. It was a pregnancy. They're all a little 'strange.'"

Biting his lip, Renji tried to think of how he could ask her "did you get attacked by a Hollow" without getting thrown into a psych ward.

He eventually tried, "I mean, like something you couldn't explain." It wasn't the best clarifier, but it was all he had.

She tapped her chin, considering.

"There was that _one_ thing… but first let's get started on this curry before it goes cold."

His mother set the dishes down efficiently, and Renji dragged himself from the couch, sitting cross-legged at the short table. For a moment, she just stared down at her dish, tapping her spoon to the plate. Then, she let out a deep sigh and began.

"I was seventeen," she started with, "and I'd finally swallowed my pride enough to go live at the women's shelter. I was starting to show, and all, and being like that alone in Ikebukuro was not a good idea. _Anyway,_ I had just finished another day of job hunting when suddenly something attacked me."

Renji sucked in a quick breath, but she just grimaced.

"It scratched me up _real good_. I was scared out of my mind. I ran all the way to the shelter without ever looking back." She let out a humorless laugh. "Adrenaline kept me going, sheer luck kept me from losing you, but I'm pretty sure the fear made me see some things."

"See things?" Renji asked carefully.

She nodded exasperatedly. "When I finally made it to the volunteers at the shelter, I started shrieking about how a monster had attacked me. They probably thought I was drugged out of my mind! Luckily for us, the hospital visit proved them wrong. The doctors decided I was attacked by a feral dog and that was the end of the story."

"…But you weren't."

Miné's eyes widened at that before she looked away, shifting uncomfortably.

"I'm…not sure."

"What did you really see?" he demanded.

His mom's eyes stayed averted for a moment, before suddenly something sparked in them.

"Not long after I had you, I decided to have the scars covered up with my first tattoo. I told the artist exactly what I remembered that day and the piece was made based on that. Here, I can show you!"

She turned around, pulling up the back of her shirt until the image was visible. It wasn't a tattoo that Renji saw often, but now it seemed painfully obvious what it was.

Over four jagged scars was a lizard-like creature with twisted limbs and a bone-white mask.

"Thanks," he said hollowly.

His mom put her shirt back into place, and looked at Renji for a long while, scrutinizing.

"You're welcome."

They continued dinner, Miné asking Renji about his first day back at school. Renji tried to answer as best he could, but he was pretty distracted the whole time.

He had gotten the information he'd wanted all along. He officially knew how _it_ happened, and he really didn't know what to do with that. Knowing felt good, but he belatedly realized that his mom was just that much closer to figuring out what was going on, here.

Still, seeing the creature gave him a few new ideas for some tattoos.

Part V

 _Weak_

Rukia's knuckles burned, but she didn't stop. She kept on hitting over, and over, and over…

 _Useless_

She was straddled over someone, pinning them down under her weight. She didn't need to. They'd stopped struggling a while ago.

 _Pitiful_

She couldn't even see who she was hitting through the slits of her mask.

 _Pathetic_

But she could swear the face she was hitting was familiar, the bloodied dark hair and black eyes that had life slipping from them as she–

Rukia bolted upright in her bed, gasping loudly. She was shaking, thought in the back of her mind that she might be crying, when she forced herself onto her feet. Only then did she realize it was still pitch black out.

"Great…" she whispered shakily. "Now, you won't even leave me alone when I'm sleeping."

She sat back down on her bed, cradling her head in her hands.

Rukia knew she needed more sleep. Her eyes were burning, right now. She needed to be awake for school tomorrow, but she wasn't even sure if she _could_ sleep right now. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to.

 _Just like how I can't bring up the courage to ask Brother about Kukaku… Pathetic._

She pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes. She wasn't pathetic. That was just the dream. She was fine.

(She knew she wasn't fine.)

Rukia did the very first thing that popped into her head, then. She grabbed her Combat Pass from her bed stand and pressed it into her chest. She felt that odd sliding sensation as she left her body, and unsheathed Sode no Shirayuki.

She'd been putting off talking to her Zanpakuto since that last big fight, felt guilty about it, too. Sitting on her bed she held it in her hands, hesitating. Already, she could feel something was wrong.

Sode had always felt cool to the touch. She had grown to find it comforting, actually, but now, the hilt was as cold as ice, even sealed. It hadn't registered to her while she was fighting, but now, sitting here alone, it was worrying.

After yet another moment of hesitation Rukia set Sode on her lap and closed her eyes. She tried to meditate.

And tried…

And tried…

And tried…!

"Dammit!" she yelled. She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, hoping that her brother didn't hear. Then, her brain registered just how ridiculous it was to worry about that while she was in her Shinigami form.

With a sigh her hand fell, and she glared down at the blade accusingly before collapsing back into her bed and into her body.

Maybe she was just too worked up to meditate? Maybe if she tried tomorrow, she would be able to talk with Sode and everything would be fine?

Or maybe, something was really wrong.

Rukia ended up not being able to sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

 **We're starting slow with this one, but things should ramp up very quickly. I look forward to seeing you next week. Yadda, yadda, yadda, your comments give me life. (And something I don't always say, feel free to point out errors. I want this to be the best for all your sakes.)**


	32. XXXII

**Hey, I got an important announcement at the end, so y'all should read it if you don't want to get surprised very suddenly a few months down the line. Other than that, please enjoy!**

* * *

Part I

Rukia shoved open the door to class 1-3, chest heaving, and muscles aching. Immediately her homeroom teacher's eyes were on her, ready to give her a stern talking-to.

 _Briiiiiing!_

The teacher's mouth shut, and Rukia hurried over to her desk. _Saved by the bell…literally._

"Everyone take your seats," the woman sighed out. She didn't spare Rukia a glance after that which, _thank god_ , the girl doubted she could have explained herself, there.

The Substitute's hands went to her morning materials automatically, barely even noticing it when she grabbed a pen instead of a mechanical pencil. She didn't really have the capacity to care right then. Her eyes burned, her temples were screaming at her, and she wanted nothing more than to get this day over with already.

She haphazardly arranged the items on her desk, not paying much attention to what the teacher was going on about. She instead glanced to the sides of her noticing Renji's raised eyebrow as well as Keigo oblivious smile. Glancing over her shoulder she saw Ishida, head in a book about as thick as her hand was wide.

Now, Rukia was worried about Ishida. She couldn't even imagine what he was going through. Her powers were a pretty new addition to her life, but to Ishida, they were his identity. He took pride in what he did.

If only she knew what to do for him. Or at the very least had her own problems solved so she had enough time to think it over.

"…with that, I'd like to introduce our newest student."

That had Rukia's attention snapping to the front in an instant. Maybe she should have been listening after all… Transfer students were rare this time of year, and the last time they'd had an odd transfer student he ended up being a Shinigami.

 _No,_ she mentally stressed. Not every transfer student was going to be from another dimension. She wasn't thinking straight, probably due to how tired she was.

The new student walked through the door, and with a flinch, Rukia concluded that they were a _little_ odd.

In front of the class stood a young girl about Rukia's height. She had coarse blonde hair pulled into pigtails and a rather sour expression on her freckled face. There was a decent chance she was mixed.

 _Which is hardly weird! Renji was mixed, and he wasn't that weird…right?_

This line of thinking was getting her nowhere.

The girl scrawled her name on the chalkboard before turning and announcing, "I'm Hiyori Sarugaki." Then, with a half-hearted bow and a smile that looked almost painful she added, "I hope we have a pleasant year."

Their teacher directed her to an empty desk near the window in the back, and with that the lecture began. Rukia paid attention the best she could, jotting down notes and quickly resigning herself to the page being filled with errors. It was when the second teacher of the day came in that Rukia noticed a balled-up scrap of paper rolling by her foot. She glanced up to see Keigo staring at her, head jerking down to it.

Rukia looked up at the teacher, and the moment his back was turned she picked it up, unfolding it beneath her desk.

 _"_ _NEW GIRL'S STARING AT YOU._

 _IT'S KINDA FREAKING ME OUT!"_

With a gulp Rukia balled up the paper again. When the new teacher started speaking, she chanced a glance behind her.

At the back of the class Sarugaki was staring right at Rukia, not even breaking it when their eyes met. Her fingers tapped against her still cleared desk as she leaned back in her chair. She flashed Rukia a grin.

Rukia's eyes went back to the front of the room, her whole frame stiffening. Maybe it wasn't just paranoia after all…

Taking a deep breath Rukia closed her eyes. She'd find out herself in just a minute. She extended her senses.

Around her she could feel each little flicker that made up the class, Renji's unusually dark presence, Ishida's unusually bright one, and right there in the back corner something that she was sure she'd never felt before in her life.

She opened her eyes, pulse spiking. Whatever that girl was, it wasn't human. This feeling of unease had her on edge for the entirety of class, all the way until the lunch bell rang and the mysterious girl walked out silently.

"What the…" Renji trailed off, eyes following her out. "What the hell is her problem?"

"No idea," Rukia said, honestly, "and I'm not sure if I want to know."

"Well, when you find out," he said, fishing out his lunchbox, "make sure to tell me. I'd like a heads up before you end up in a fight with some angry middle-schooler."

"Aww, you do care," she snarked, grabbing her wallet. She turned to the back again, seeing their resident Quincy with his nose still stuck in that same book. Looking closer, the cover wasn't even in Japanese.

"Ishida," she called.

"Hm?" he sounded. He didn't even look up.

"Lunch!" Renji called more aggressively. "We're going to the tree."

Ishida turned another page, before suddenly squinting his eyes. He jotted something down in the notebook next to him.

"Busy," he simply said. "Go on without me."

Rukia frowned. Had he really been doing this all through class? (Or even longer, perhaps? Those glasses didn't hide dark circles as much as Ishida thought they did.) One glance at Renji told her he was thinking the same thing.

With hesitation she said, "If you change your mind… We'll still be there."

He nodded, writing down another note. The two left him feeling somewhat defeated. Even the sunny skies outside didn't change that. The silence between them grew uncomfortable, and before they had quite reached the tree Renji tried to fill it.

"So…" he drawled, "what had you all out of breath this morning? Did something happen?"

"Oh, something happened, alright," she groaned. "Two somethings, actually."

Renji stopped in his tracks. "Wait, two?" he asked incredulously. "Two Hollows. Damn, I surprised you showed up at all."

"They weren't much," she excused.

"Still," he insisted, "what's with these things. We just took care of three yesterday."

"Yeah, and when you consider the transfer student… Something's definitely going on."

"Then there _is_ something weird about her!"

"Definitely something weird," Rukia agreed. "I just wish I knew what."

Well, there was one thing she knew. Whatever was going on, Aizen just had to be behind it somehow.

"Hey," Renji said, suddenly. She looked up at him. "Whatever's up, we'll take care of it, _together_."

It reminded her a lot of what she'd said to Sode no Shirayuki.

 _"_ _Whatever happens, we can handle it together."_

Rukia nodded, gripping her lunch bag tighter. The bread in there was her absolute favorite, but for some reason, she wasn't hungry anymore.

Part II

More than halfway through lunch Uryuu realized that he had just read the same sentence three times. He supposed four hours of sleep wasn't enough, after all.

Bringing an ancient Quincy text to school was not something Uryuu would normally do. (His grandfather had outright forbidden it.) Normally he would have said yes to Orikasa's friendly lunch invitation. Normally he wouldn't have attempted to power through a day on energy drinks alone.

Today was not a normal day, however. In fact, today would not be a normal week, not with him having about twenty-five books to sort through, nearly half of them being over four hundred pages long, and all for the sake of getting his powers back, preferably before this entire war started and ended without him.

He read that sentence for the fourth time before finally putting down the book. He took off his glasses and allowed himself a moment to rub at his aching eyes.

What was he kidding? Uryuu hated this. One day into the search and it was already starting to wear at him. The worst part was, the work wasn't what bothered him. It was being stuck in a classroom alone on a nice day while his friends enjoyed lunch together. It was the loneliness that got to him.

Taking in a deep breath he steeled himself. If all went well that problem would go away. He'd get his powers back and be able to face them again. He'd be himself again.

Oh, he knew very well that his friends would consider such a thing silly. Abarai and Orikasa were overwhelmingly kind and patient with him back in the Soul Society. In a way that made him feel worse. He wasn't normally someone that needed to be protected or pitied.

(He wondered if he'd act the same with them in that situation. Then he quickly tried to forget about it. That wasn't a rabbit hole he wanted to go down right now.)

So, yeah, he felt desperate.

Slipping his glasses back on Uryuu got back to reading. He never stopped for lunch, in the end.

Part III

Rukia had been hoping that no Hollows would interrupt her and Renji's peaceful walk home. (In retrospect, she didn't know what she was thinking.)

She leapt onto the next tree, narrowly avoiding a strike from the powerful tongue of _today's problem._ She leapt again, watching as Renji tried to engage it from the ground.

"Why won't you just stay still!" her friend growled. He kicked upwards, aiming for its mask, letting out another growl when it dodged away with a distorted laugh. It took that time to wrap its tongue around the trunk of the tree, uprooting it entirely.

She barely had a moment to jump down from it, and by the time she had it was swinging its makeshift bat right into Renji, knocking him aside.

 _"_ _Hollow! Hollow! Hollow!"_ her Combat Pass suddenly cried.

"You've got to be kidding me!" she yelled. The Hollow swung the trunk once again, her jumping over it with a grimace. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Renji rolling onto his feet. He sent the creature a nasty glare.

Wiping the blood from a scrape on his cheek, he said, "You better go take care of that. I can handle this little bastard."

She tried to answer but was cut off by another swing of the tree, forcing her up onto another branch. "Don't die!" she decided on. She dashed towards the next presence.

Before she even reached her destination, she was able to get a decent idea as to what was in store for her, because as she drew near, she could feel the ground tremble below her. Out of the corner of her eye she even noticed some people fleeing a warehouse.

Running just a little ahead she saw the Hollow lumbering on all fours in a mostly empty lot, nothing but a rebar structure behind it, hitting the ground roughly with its large heavy arms. The second her foot crossed the property line its eyes were on her.

 _"_ _A Shinigami, huh?"_ it asked with a grin. _"I thought I'd run into one of you here. This should be fun."_

She quipped, "You took the words right out of my mouth." It was oddly satisfying. No wonder Tatsuki liked doing it so much.

With a hiss, it attacked, lunging at her, arm extending unnaturally as if it were made of rubber. Rukia dodged back, barely avoiding it. The Hollow was fast for how big it was, and with that reach it just might be a problem.

She ran forward, weaving around it for a better shot, but its other fist followed her, clipping off her shoulder, and sending her tumbling into the rebar. She bit back a hiss at the sensation of it digging into her back, jumping up right before the Hollow's fist impacted against metal. She landed in a crouch within the structure.

Damn, it looked like approaching this thing wouldn't be so easy. If she wanted to get anywhere, she needed to stay out of its reach. That'd be a simple thing to accomplish with Shikai, but…

Her mind snapped back to her dream. No, she needed a better handle on that _thing_ before she went pulling out her Shikai again. Before she could think of any alternatives the Hollow was tearing through the structure.

 _"_ _No use hiding from me, Shinigami!"_ it yelled as it threw aside every beam it could get its hands on. With a grimace Rukia weaved through, booking it to the other side, she was stopped when a large bar was thrown in front of her. The pause cost her dearly.

The Hollow's hand was wrapped around her in an instant, her sword arm pinned to her side.

 _"_ _I finally got you,"_ it cheered. Letting out a chuckle it shook her like a child with a toy. Then, with a flick of its wrist, it threw her down.

The air rushed from her in an instant, making it impossible to even cry out. Then, like a vice its hand came down, pressing her into the dirt. All she could manage was a panicked wheeze.

This thing was really trying to crush her, she thought. She scrambled for its fingers with her free arm, trying to channel anything through that she could, all while a more alarmed part of her brain was busy thinking–

 _I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't_ –

 _"_ _I'm going to enjoy this."_ It pressed harder.

Black dots were starting to appear in her vision, as she scrambled ineffectively, hanging on until the very last moment. It was through this distorted vision that she saw a dark figure darting through the sky.

"Suikawari!"

As Rukia's eyes struggled to stay open she saw that figure impact with the mask of the Hollow, their Zanpakuto carving it neatly in half. The hand holding her went limp and Rukia gasped in as much air as she could, coughing as her ribs protested. She got a good grip on Sode no Shirayuki before levering herself onto her feet, stumbling on the way.

"Than–" she coughed out. She was about to try again when she turned to see none other that Hiyori Sarugaki, sheathing a Zanpakuto and looking entirely pissed off. She approached Rukia slowly.

"What the hell was that?" the girl asked in a low voice.

"Uh…"

Sarugaki took another step forward. "How the _hell_ did you get taken down by that weakling?!"

"I, uh…" Rukia took a few steps back, alarmed. Sarugaki followed her, getting so close Rukia could feel her breath.

"Are you really that much of a dumbass, or are you just not who you say you are?"

"Who…" Rukia stuttered, "I… I don't even know you!"

Sarugaki scoffed, "Yeah, whatever." Then under her breath she added, "I knew I was the wrong one for the fuckin' job."

Rukia definitely heard that. "Excuse me?"

The transfer student let out a monumental sigh. "For some weird reason, my _compatriots_ are interested in you. So, I need you to come with me."

This had Rukia pausing. Her stuttering stopped, and suddenly things started to come together. The confusing Reiatsu, the increase in Hollows, it all made sense. She gripped her Zanpakuto tighter.

"No," Rukia bit out. "No way in hell I'm going with you, and you can tell Aizen that yourself."

Sarugaki blinked, astonishment on her face. This was followed quickly by rage.

"WHAT?! Oh, you _little_ –!"

Sarugaki brought a hand up to her face, and in an instant, she was pulling down a bone white mask with wicked teeth and a sharp horn coming out from the forehead. Rukia's heart stopped for a moment, and suddenly she thought she may have misinterpreted a few things, here.

"Wait!" she tried to rush out, but the girl was already attacking.

She came at Rukia with impossible speed, barely giving the Substitute enough time to block. Rukia quickly lost track of where her opponent even was. Sometimes she'd come from the left, and in the next instant she'd be behind her swinging at her back with amazing strength. It practically left Rukia's head spinning.

That was probably why, when she landed a blow on Rukia's forehead with the back of her blade, Rukia wasn't terribly surprised.

The substitute went down, dazed, vision swimming. She heard Sarugaki grumbling to herself, words distorted as if Rukia were at the bottom of a swimming pool. Her mask dissolved revealing a harsh scowl that disappeared from view when she was hefted over the blonde's shoulder.

By the time Rukia fully came back to herself, they were far away from that lot and in a part of town that Rukia had never been to before. It then struck Rukia that she could just tell the girl to put her down and promise to cooperate, but she was a little worried that Sarugaki would knock her out entirely if she uttered so much as a word.

So, Rukia stayed as still as possible as she was dragged to a nondescript warehouse just out of town, and for a moment Rukia was confused. Sarugaki was standing right outside the edge of the lot, tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for _something_.

Then, with a suddenness that had Rukia gasping seven huge presences appeared where they weren't before, incredibly similar to the one carrying her right now.

(Most likely similar to her own, if this is what she thought it was.)

Sarugaki stalked over to the large front door, kicking it open without a word. At her back, Rukia craned her neck, just to try and get a view of where she was. As it turned out, there wasn't much to see. The warehouse was dark, musty, and seemed like it hadn't been occupied in years.

"You're back already?" a voice asked.

"That was fast," another commented.

The others started muttering to each other at that, tones ranging from apprehensive to cheerful to downright bored. Suddenly, one cleared their throat, and the rest went quiet.

"Hiyori," he said stiffly, "why is our new recruit passed out on your shoulder?"

"I'm pretty sure she's been awake for the last few blocks," Sarugaki clarified, jostling Rukia slightly.

"About that… Can you let me go now?" Rukia asked sheepishly.

The voices immediately started again, echoing off the walls of the warehouse all at once.

"Of all the–!"

"Really, Hiyori…"

"Did you seriously–?"

"Oh, my!"

Amidst all that, Rukia started wiggling out of Sarugaki's grip only to fall roughly when the girl dropped her all at once. Letting out an indignant squeak she stood up, dusting herself off, awkwardly facing the seven strangers. She paused when she got a good look at them. They were… What was the word?

 _Weird. They were Weird._

Eccentric looking might have been a nicer way to put it. They looked strange, even by Shinigami standards. They had loud hair, loud clothing, yet all carried themselves in a way that suggested power.

The one closest to her was currently rubbing his temples in frustration. His particular outfit included a bright orange button-up shirt with a black tie. He was particularly lanky and had a perfectly straight blonde bowl-cut.

"Hey!" Sarugaki yelled angrily. "Why'd you assume I beat her up?" She turned to Rukia as if asking for defense, but the girl simply averted her eyes. There was no way she was getting dragged in the middle of this.

"Because we know you," the blonde man said, hand on his hip. With a growl Sarugaki socked him right in the stomach. He hunched over in a wheeze. Sarugaki let out a growl.

"Whatever. I did my stupid job." Then, she turned to Rukia, about three different kinds of threats in her eyes. "So, leave me alone, got it?" She shoved past Rukia. The sound of a door slamming came barely a second later.

The blonde man straightened, a frown on his face, a hand rubbing idly at his stomach. "Don't take it too personal," he said. "She's just grumpy about having to get you."

Well, it was a little hard to not take it personally when he put it like _that_.

" _Shinji_ was originally going to get you," a green haired girl said with a playful grin, "but when he and Hiyori went to the school, the principal thought he was her dad!" A few snickers sounded through the room.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," he grumbled. "The important thing is, we got results." With his eyes on Rukia, he added with an unnaturally wide grin, "And boy do I love results."

A beat of silence passed, and Rukia shifted uncomfortably. Did he want her to say something? Well, there was really only one thing on her mind right now…

"I'm sorry," she said, "but who are you?"

His grin instantly fell. "She didn't even explain that?"

Rukia shook her head.

Eye twitching, he put back on his "best" smile. He straightened his tie and with a grand sweeping gesture proclaimed, "We are the Visoreds!"

Rukia averted her eyes. Was that supposed to mean something to her? She coughed into her fist awkwardly, and suddenly the man seemed much more nervous. This probably wasn't how he wanted this to go.

He persisted, though. "I-I'm Shinji Hirako," he tried. He then glanced in the direction of the others, silently prompting them. Unlucky for him they weren't paying much attention.

Three were reading manga on a worn-out couch. One was sharpening a hunting knife on the window ledge. Really, the only ones that were paying any attention at all were a rather portly man in a suit and the green haired girl, and that may have only been because they had nothing better to do.

Finally, the green haired girl got a clue, pointing to herself with a raised eyebrow. Hirako nodded his head furiously.

"Oh! I'm Mashiro Kuna!"

The man next to her lowered his head politely. "Hachigen Ushōda."

When the others didn't follow, Kuna smacked the leg of the one closest to her harshly.

"Lisa Yadōmaru," the woman in the sailor uniform said with a momentary glare. She immediately went back to reading her… _Oh my god, is that hentai?_

"And I'm Love Aikawa," the man next to her introduced. He had easily the weirdest hair Rukia had ever seen save maybe Kenpachi, an afro groomed perfectly into the shape of a star. He took a moment to pull of the headphones of the person sitting next to _him_ , a man with long wavy blonde hair and an outfit that made him look ready for an orchestral performance.

"Rōjūrō Ōtorobashi," he said quickly, before grabbing back the headphones. Aikawa let out chuckle.

"You can call him Rose," he assured.

All that left was the man intimidatingly sharpening a hunting knife by the window. "I'm Kensei Muguruma," he said. He had silver hair, a piercing in his eyebrow and several more in his ear. He reminded her a lot of the punks she'd used to get into fights with. The difference here seemed to be that he wasn't faking his toughness _at all_.

"And you've already met Hiyori," Hirako finished. His confidence had seemed to make a comeback.

"It's nice to meet you all," she said politely. "I'm Rukia Orikasa."

Judging by Hirako's smile, he liked this response. "It's good to meet you, too, Rukia. From what we understand, you're a lot like us, a Visored."

"We're a rather private bunch," Ushōda said with a gentle smile, "but we're always open to recruits. We'd be happy if you could join us."

"If you want," Kuna added.

"So… what do you say?" asked Hirako.

Rukia swallowed thickly.

"This all seems…nice, but," she let out a sigh, steeling herself. "One of you just attacked me, and I don't even know who the rest of you are."

Hirako's smile faltered.

"She's got a point, there," Aikawa commented.

"You're not helping," Hirako mumbled.

"But!" Rukia interrupted, not meeting anyone's eyes. "I'd be pretty stupid if I let this opportunity pass me by. I didn't even know there were other 'Visoreds' around and…" She shifted in place, unsure.

"And…?" echoed Kuna.

Fists clenched, Rukia prepared herself for what she was going to say next in front of _complete strangers_. She took in a deep breath before finally saying, "I think something's wrong with my Zanpakuto.

"I'm not sure what, just that it's that…" _Hollow? Monster?_ "… _thing's_ fault. I need help controlling it, because if I can't I'd be letting her down. If I need to join you guys to do that, so be it, but I'll only do it if you promise me, you'll help her."

She looked up out of the corner of her eye, noticing some of the looks the Visoreds were giving her. Some looked sad, others looked at her in sympathy. Somehow, that made her feel better already, the idea that there were people that knew what she was going through.

"Well, you heard her!" Hirako cried with a clap of his hands. "It looks like we've got a new recruit!"

Kuna let out a loud "Whoop!" of excitement. Many of the others simply smiled (of those that visibly reacted at all). It wasn't the warmest of welcomes, but for now, it would work.

"For the next few weeks," Hirako announced, "fixing her Zanpakuto will be our top priority!"

Rukia let out a deep sigh of relief at that, one that ended with a jolt of pain going through her ribs. She breathed through it, hiding a grimace.

"Maybe we should start tomorrow," she suggested. Exhaustion was starting to kick in, and Renji was no doubt wondering where the heck she was by now.

Shrugging his shoulders Hirako said, "I don't have a problem with that."

"Okay," she said with a resolute nod. "I'll be here then, right after school." She couldn't stop the smile that crept on her face. Rukia would finally be getting the answers she needed, and something about that had her excited.

* * *

 **This is where the fun begins, my dudes. The Visored Arc is one of my favorites because it introduces some of the best characters in Bleach. I'm proud to present the first batch of them, today!**

 **But, before I can get into it… ANNOUNCEMENT TIME.**

 **For a while I've been debating in between doing the whole Manga including the Fullbringers and Final Arc or stopping at the end of Aizen's Saga with the Winter War. Just because of how much time it takes to write each arc (I mean, I have other fics I want to write, here) as well as how the last two are kinda known for being the worst I'm going for the latter. I'm wrapping everything up with the Winter War. I'll still be referencing lore from both as they do offer good context for both Quincy and Fullbringers, but assume that Xcution doesn't exist and Yhwach is staying asleep for another one-hundred years or so.**

 **I'm sorry if that disappoints some of you. Feel free to yell at me in the comments, or just hit me up if you want to chat. Your comments give me life, after all.**


	33. XXXIII

**No time to explain. Just enjoy a slightly longer chapter!**

* * *

Part I

Rukia ignored the twinge of pain in her chest as she slipped on her walking shoes, a steadying hand on the school lockers. Yesterday's fight managed to leave quite the bruise.

(Not that today's fights were much better, of course. Her and Renji ended up taking out two Hollows before the final bell even rang.)

Still, she was determined for today to be good. She had her first day of training with the Visoreds, after all. Before, that, however…

Rukia took a quick left turn.

"Hey, we goin' somewhere?" Renji asked.

"Kukaku's," Rukia explained. "She said she had something for me to pick up."

"Oh," he said, stiffening slightly, "you did say that Paku's there nowadays, right?"

"Don't worry," she crooned with a smirk. "I'll protect you." His frown deepened.

The shop wasn't too far from the school, luckily. The two were at the front porch in no time, counting their blessings that the Combat Pass had stayed completely silent for the entire trip. Rukia opened the door, a small sigh of relief escaping her.

"Eyy, long time no see," Ganju said gazing over his copy of _Shōnen Jump_. "Big sis is out back."

"Thanks," Rukia said offhandedly.

"I should probably warn you, though. Her and Paku have been fighting something fierce. Enter at your own risk."

Then, as if timed perfectly a heavy thud sounded from the other side of the back door, Ganju flinching. The muffled sounds of yelling could be heard, and Rukia had to suppress a shudder.

She had a meeting to make, she reminded herself. There was no use in hiding behind this door. Gathering up her courage, she opened it, Renji shuffling in behind her. The yelled words quickly became clear.

"I want to go!" Paku whined loudly, back facing them. Her fist was currently embedded partially in the wall. Across from her was Kukaku, fingers massaging her temple in frustration.

"I can't just pull an identity for you out of my ass," she groaned.

"You did it for Ichigo!"

"Yeah, it took me weeks! He wasn't even planning on staying!"

Rukia considered just turning back and forgetting about this entirely. She glanced up at Renji only to see his eyes glazed over at the display.

"I want to go to high school!" Paku yelled, shaking her plaster covered fist. Just over her shoulder Kukaku looked at Rukia, the word "help" clear in her eyes.

Okay, Rukia couldn't just leave her aunty hanging here, could she? Knocking loudly on the wall she cleared her throat. Paku turned to her immediately, frustration clear in her eyes.

"Uh…" Rukia started lamely, "you said you had something for me?"

"Yes!" Kukaku exclaimed. "Come, it should be in the back."

The woman practically Rukia's wrist, pulling her along past a sputtering Paku, Renji hugging the walls just to avoid the Mod Soul. She shoved the two quickly into the last door in the hall.

Kukaku let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the save, kiddo." Putting a hand on her hip she glanced around the dim room. "Now, let's see where I left _it_ …"

They were cramped together in a storage room, though this one didn't carry much in sweets or magazines. It was instead filled with boxes of various Shinigami items. One particular box had individually wrapped Soldier Pills spilling out from it. Another set of (suspiciously coffin shaped) boxes in the back were labeled messily in permanent marker as "Blank Gigai".

Kukaku ignored all of those, instead zeroing in on a box resting on a bench near a shelf, tearing into it easily. She brushed aside a few packing peanuts pulling out what looked a lot like a Pez Dispenser. She tossed it to Rukia over her shoulder.

"Without Paku, you'll be needing this," she explained. "You want that human body to stay in good condition, right?"

"Y-yeah," Rukia stuttered out, pocketing it. Damn, she'd almost forgotten about that bit. She supposed she was lucky that nothing bad had happened yet.

Just next to them they heard a door slam, Paku's murmuring audible through the walls. Rukia had seen the Mod Soul in a bad mood before, but this kind of took the cake.

"What's up with her?" Renji asked. "She's acting weirder than normal."

Kukaku let out a long sigh. "It's kinda hard to explain, kid. Paku was working a ton her own missions while you were gone. A lot changed for her, then."

The sound of two doors slamming open echoed through the room as Paku appeared suddenly in the doorway, the gust causing several packing peanuts to go into the air.

"I basically held down the fort while you were gone," she bragged. "It's not like it was a big deal or anything. I just did your job for you but better."

The girl's eyes were zeroed in on Rukia, obviously waiting for either an angry response or an admittance of defeat. Odd, because usually her eyes were on…

"Okay, what's going on?" Rukia asked accusingly. "You haven't even looked at Renji once since we came here."

Paku flashed Rukia a toothy grin, which could in no way be a good sign. "I found my own 'Renji'," she said smugly, "and he's _a lot_ better than yours."

 _Did she think Renji was a job title, or…?_

"He helps during my fights, he's much cuter _and_ nicer. Heck, he doesn't even need cool powers to help me."

"What?!" Kukaku yelled.

"Wait, you dragged a normal human into this?" Rukia groaned out. _Of all the idiotic things…_

"Huh?" Paku stepped back defensively. "Of course, I didn't! He can see Spirits and everything, and I didn't _drag_ him into it! He likes helping, and he was from Rukia's class, so I thought it was okay…"

Rukia paused, trying to resist the urge to facepalm.

" _Keigo_ ," Renji grumbled.

"You're kidding me." Rukia was unable to resist the urge to facepalm. "Looks like we're talking to him tomorrow."

"Of course, it was Keigo!" Renji growled.

Kukaku took hold of Paku's arm, a deep frown on her face. "We need to have a serious talk about this, young lady."

"B-but I…!" With a noise of frustration Paku tore her arm free, turning back into the hallway, marching right through the back-porch door.

"Sometimes I just don't know about that girl." Kukaku shook her head. "Sorry to drag you two into this."

"Funny that," Renji said with a snort. Rukia sent him a quick glare.

"It was no problem. Thanks for the Soul Candy."

She dragged them both outside quickly, putting as much distance as she could.

"I can't say I didn't see that coming," Renji said, kicking at the dirt in the front lot.

"Sad to say, same he–"

Rukia was cut off by a gust of wind at her back. In front of her stood Paku, eyes on the ground and fists clenched.

"I…I get…" the Mod Soul stuttered for a moment. "I get that you have to talk to Keigo, and that you're probably going to tell him to stop fighting Hollows and all, but…" She gulped heavily. "I really like him, okay! So, don't ruin it! … _Please_."

The last word was practically a whisper, and the second it was spoken she had disappeared back into the house. It all happened so fast Rukia had a hard time processing it for a moment.

" _Shit_ ," Renji whispered. "She really likes him, doesn't she?"

Rukia's shoulders slumped. "I can never tell with her."

She kicked at a rock in the sidewalk, trudging along, trying not to think about this whole mess. She turned back to the path, Renji trailing behind her quietly, hands in his pockets. They made it all the way to the warehouse, pausing just outside. Despite how friendly all the Visoreds were with her, she doubted Renji would get the same reception.

"So…time for you to go in, huh?"

"If I want my Zanpakuto fixed, yeah."

"You're sure you want to go, right?" he asked with a frown. Then, cracking a smile he added, "They're not actually some cult trying to drag you into their weirdo ritual."

"Not every secretive organization is a cult, Renji," she defended. "I'd take you with if I could, but…"

"I get it," he said, hands up. "Just try not to stay too long that I kick Aizen's ass without you."

"As if!" she jabbed. She moved to enter the field but found herself hesitating. Maybe she was nervous about going in to see the Visoreds, or maybe she was just unsure about leaving Renji to fight all those Hollows alone. Either way, she knew she couldn't just leave him like this.

It was probably just impulse that made her do it, but she found herself tugging her Combat Pass from her skirt and pressing it into Renji's hand.

"The dumb thing hasn't really worked, yet," she started, "but Captain Ukitake said that this proves you're with the Soul Society. So, maybe it'll help you. I'm not really sure."

Renji wrapped his fingers around the pass, studying it for a moment before pocketing it with a smile.

"I'll keep it close," he said. "Now go, before those weirdos start thinking you're a no show."

Rukia felt something warm in her chest at that. The barrier behind her opened with a rush, and with a single step she crossed it.

Part II

Miné's eyes darted to her wristwatch as she finished clearing her station. She was running late, and she knew it. _Why on earth did that last client have to be so difficult?_ Her coworker looked at her with amused eyes as she shouldered her purse.

"What's got you in such a hurry?" Ikuyo asked. "You have a date, or something?"

"Ha!" Miné barked out. "You wish. I'm just meeting with an old friend." She left the shop, Ikuyo on her heels.

"Hey, that's still more fun than what I have planned."

Ikuyo was a nice girl. She was young, talented, and maybe just a little more trouble prone than she ought to be. She fit in nicely as the newest recruit for their little tattoo shop.

"Seriously," the girl groaned. Miné let the words wash over her, focusing instead on the sidewalk, trying to walk just a bit faster. _Did the bus here come every five minutes or every ten? For some reason she couldn't remember, right now._ "I can't wait to get these graduate classes fucking over with. I mean those professors, they just…"

Ikuyo trailed off, stopping suddenly.

"Uh… Abarai?"

Miné glanced quickly at Ikuyo, and then to whatever the girl was staring at, mouth agape. What she saw was a sleek black Lexus pulled over to the side of them, window rolled down. In the driver's seat sat Byakuya.

He leaned slightly out of the window. "I'm glad I was able to catch you."

"You never said you were picking me up," Miné said with a frown.

"I wasn't sure if I'd be able to," he explained, "and…" He stopped, suddenly noticing Miné's shell shocked companion. "Sorry if I interrupted something. I'm just here to pick up Miné."

Ikuyo blinked before turning to Miné accusingly. "I thought you said it wasn't a date?" Miné just rolled her eyes.

"Well, it's not like I'll turn down a free ride," she said sauntering over to the passenger's side. "I'll catch you later, Ikuyo!" She climbed in the car, her coworker giving her a thumbs up and a grin. The two drove off.

"So…" Miné drawled, "you don't usually do things like this, picking me up from work and all. People might get the wrong idea, you know."

"I…uh." Byakuya struggled to find the right words for a moment. Really, he was just too easy.

"I'm kidding," she said with a grin. "Has anyone ever told you you're as awkward as a teenaged girl?"

"You have," he sighed out, "multiple times." He managed to keep a straight face for about a second. This quickly morphed into a smile.

They really didn't see each other often enough; it seemed like they were always so busy with work or kids nowadays. It felt nice to just get away for once and enjoy a cup of coffee together at some stupid trendy café.

Granted it was one of those obstacles that prompted her to arrange this meeting in the first place. Miné's smile fell just as they hit a stoplight.

"Is something wrong?" Byakuya asked.

She collapsed back in her seat, defeated. "It's Renji," she said. "I just don't know what's going on with that boy, lately."

Wringing her hands, she could feel her stress levels rise as she just started thinking about the conversation they'd had the other day. It was weird, even for him. In fact, this whole school year had been weird.

"Go on," Byakuya prompted. He drove forward with the green light, and somehow that managed to open the floodgates for her.

"I mean, he's gone all summer at _camp_ , he comes home later and later every day, sometimes with injuries that he can't explain, and then there was that incident with the goddamn _bird_! Honestly, I don't even know what to think, anymore. All I know is that he's in trouble, and… and I was kind of hoping that since he's so close to Rukia and you're so close to her, you might have some answers."

She supposed those were the perks of being a "brother" rather than a "mother".

"If it helps," Byakuya said, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, "I don't think they're in any trouble with the law."

"I don't care about that," she insisted. "I know he would never do something _actually_ wrong. I just want to know that he's safe."

It was then that Byakuya took a careful breath. His fingers tapped the steering wheel, and she could practically see the wheels in his head turning along with it.

He finally proposed, "Maybe they are doing something dangerous, but there just isn't anything we can do to stop them."

Miné opened her mouth to respond, to say that of course there was something they could do, but a certain look in Byakuya's eyes warned her against it. He looked pained. So, she waited.

"They're teenagers," he continued. "Keeping secrets is practically in their nature. It's not surprising that one or two of those might be dangerous. While we can try and steer them away from the worst of it, ultimately, all we can do is give them somewhere safe to return to."

Miné didn't respond at first. She stared down at her lap, thinking over each and every word.

She remembered herself back at Renji's age, how no one could tell her anything. That got her in trouble for a good while. She did plenty of things she regretted in the end, but she learned from them all. Still, she would have appreciated that extra little bit, a safe place to go back to in the end.

"Maybe you're right," she said. "I'd still like it if he'd just tell me, but…" She let out a sigh, feeling one weight lift as yet another took its place. At least this one felt a little lighter. "Where'd you learn that one?" she asked with a smile. "Did one of your parents say that to you?"

"Oh no, I got that from a book," he said flatly. She choked back a laugh. "My parents were far too concerned with how we'd look in front of other families to ever worry about me like that."

 _Huh, it was pretty rare to hear Byakuya talk about his family._

"Don't I know how that feels," she said with a grin. She could already see the café in the distance. (An overpriced latte sounded really good, right now.) "Still, thanks for the advice."

It felt good to get that out of the way, she thought. Now, they could just enjoy each other's company. Like she'd said before, they hadn't seen each other in a while.

Part III

Rukia lingered at the door, watching in the corner of her eye as Renji walked away. With a desperation she held onto that warmth in her chest.

If there was one thing she'd learned over her time fighting it was that there was always a catch to gaining power. No training session had ever been quite the same in that each had been their own special kind of hell. The other thing she'd learned was that it was best not to think about it.

Before she could go for it the door in front of her slid open revealing Hirako grinning down at her. She stiffened.

"Right on time, I see," he said with a glimmer in his eye.

Well, she wasn't, not really. "I would have been here sooner, but I had something to take care of, first."

"No problem, no problem," he placated. "You're a student. You shouldn't be rushing out every day, even for us. School days should be treasured!"

He sounded like he was speaking from experience and boy did she not even want to _know_ what kind of school days an ancient Shinigami-Visored could be reminiscing on. She simply offered a weak smile and tried to change the subject.

"What are we starting on today?" she asked.

"Oh, I was thinking a tour."

 _A… tour?_

"I… that makes sense," Rukia said, more to herself than anything.

"You're going to be spending a lot of time here," he said, getting out of the doorway, turning his back. "You might as well get familiar with the place. Besides, we can go over a couple of things while we're at it."

Rukia nodded along following him in, eyes scanning the warehouse.

When she was first dragged inside by Sarugaki, she didn't have much of a chance to look at it, too concerned with what the heck was even happening, but now, she realized it wasn't nearly as empty and abandoned as she had first thought.

For one, the place was surprisingly clean and well furnished. She counted three couches, five rugs (some hastily thrown over deep gouges in the floor that she'd bet her sword were from a fight), and one short table shoved into the back. Near one of the couches was a set up involving a large shelf, manga volumes lining it, as well as boxes labeled with specific music genres. Next to it was a record player, a fast-paced classical song coming from it.

The place looked comfy, lived in, and she wasn't just saying that because the people living in it were staring at her right that moment.

Rukia fidgeted awkwardly under the attention.

"As you were, people," Hirako said with a raised hand. "I'm just showing the newbie around."

It took a second or so, but eventually they all complied. A few went back to reading whatever they had in their hands while the blonde man (Rose?) turned his music player's volume up another notch. For some reason, though, Rukia could still feel someone's eyes on her.

From the top of her vision she caught a flash of red, and her eyes immediately snapped up to the rafters. Crouched on one of the lowest beams was Sarugaki in a bright red tracksuit, her school uniform long abandoned. The girl glared down at her for a moment, meeting her gaze unflinchingly before turning away. The red faded into shadow and Rukia let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"…You could say we spend most our time here, and though it's been a bit of an adjustment, we make it work."

It took Rukia a moment to realize Hirako was still speaking to her. Snapping her attention up to him she hoped he didn't notice the lapse. Judging by how he kept on going without taking so much as a breath, he didn't.

The man never ran out of energy, it seemed. He continued his explanations mixing in grand gestures and corny jokes, occasionally greeting whoever they stumbled upon. It was then that Rukia realized something. These people were about as eccentric as they looked.

She wondered for a moment if that was just how all Spiritually Powered people were. Maybe being quirky was just an occupational hazard, because it seemed to her that every single one of them ranged between antisocial weirdo and hyperactive weirdo. The only halfway normal one was Orihime and even she tried to kill Rukia when they first met.

(Rukia hoped she herself wouldn't become that way, or that somehow, she was already there without even realizing it.)

Before long the tour took them out back. Here she was greeted by a half open shed, training equipment practically spilling from it. She could spot a hacked-up training dummy laying pathetically on its side, a small pile of broken wooden bokken, and even a weight rack. The most notable thing, though, was the wall behind them. Scratches, gouges, slices, and cracks covered it, so frequent she was surprised the entire thing didn't come down. She supposed you couldn't cover _those_ by just buying another throw rug.

"We've gotta stay sharp," Hirako continued. "so, we practice whenever we can. This is our _official_ training center, but our fights usually get, uh…out of hand."

That explained a few things, she thought. It also filled her with some uncertainty.

"So, you don't really have control over your Hollows?" she asked. "Even now?"

Hirako's face fell into a frown. He scratched his head pensively. "It's not really about controlling it. It's…well, it's complicated. The whole reason we're here together is because it makes things a little easier on us, ya know?" A smile crept back onto his face. "If one of us gets a little 'out of hand' there's about seven others to help beat the shit out of us and bring us back. Well, eight, now," he corrected with a wink.

Rukia took in his words, nodding. She'd known it wouldn't be so simple, but hey, knowing that there would be seven people backing her up made her think it might not be impossible.

Still, she had one more question. "If you can't control it, then what do you do?"

Hirako shrugged. "That changes from person to person. All our Hollows acted a little differently, so we all needed to deal with them a little differently. If you told me a bit about what yours is like, though, we might be able to figure out where to start."

Biting her lip, Rukia took a moment to think. She'd never really had to describe these experiences before, wasn't even sure if she could, but she had to try.

She told Hirako every detail that she could remember and even the ones she couldn't, like the time it possessed her completely. There was something about just doing this that helped her sort through it all, actually.

The Hollow acted like a parasite, gnawing at her Zanpakuto's mind and invading Rukia's in the process. It took over their bodies, seemed to have its own distinct personality, and was incredibly dangerous, putting Rukia's body on the line to sate its lust for violence. That being said, it didn't seem to want Rukia dead.

Hirako listened to every detail, not interrupting even once, and taking everything in stride. It was nice, in a way. Everyone else that found out or saw it seemed so shocked.

When she finished he nodded, humming for a moment. Then, eyes lighting up he snapped his fingers.

"Rose!" he exclaimed. "A lot of what you said reminds me of things he used to say about his Hollow. You should talk to him, see if he has any advice."

"Rose…" she trailed off. That man wasn't exactly the approachable type, but she'd give it a shot. Hirako grinned wide.

"And with that," he bowed, "the tour is ov…"

The tail end of his sentence was drowned out by an intense pressure shooting through the air.

"A Hollow?" Rukia ground out. This pressure, it was even stronger than what had come from the Gillian's she'd fought back when she'd met Ishida.

Hirako's eyes narrowed. " _Hollows_ ," he corrected. "Two of them, Menos class or greater."

She gulped. "Renji's out there alone. We have to help him."

"Way ahead of you, kid."

He reached for the Zanpakuto at his hip, jumping into the air and landing on…air? Rukia's jaw dropped. Hirako let out a disappointed sigh.

"I thought you'd at least know this one." With a frown he explained, "There are Spiritual Particles in the air. Just use them as footholds. Now come on, we've gotta go!" With that he sped off towards the pressure, leaving Rukia in the dust.

 _Okay_ , she thought, just a little panicked. She just had to figure this out quickly. Nothing new, there. Just find footholds in the air. _Whatever that meant._

Her hand went to the Soul Candy dispenser in her bag, popping one in her mouth. She felt herself get knocked out of her body, and in less than a second was looking at her own _creepily_ smiling face.

"Reporting for duty, master!" This Soul Candy's voice was cheery and high, and looking at her Rukia could tell there wasn't much behind the eyes.

"Uh…" Rukia froze.

"What would you have me do?" she asked, leaning in.

"Just…uh…stay here, I guess." Rukia's eyes went back to the air. She could see some particles glimmering in it. They didn't look like they'd hold her weight, but it was worth a shot.

"Got it!" the Soul Candy exclaimed with a salute. She put her back to the warehouse wall, and stared straight ahead, smiling.

 _Why was this so much weirder than Paku, somehow?_

Whatever, Rukia didn't have time to think about that right now. She instead launched herself up into the air, trying to catch onto some of those glimmering particles.

For a moment her feet grabbed onto something, but in the next they fell through, leaving her weightless. She went down about a meter, arms flailing and then…stopped, right above the ground. She let out a sigh of relief.

Eyes to Hirako's quickly disappearing back she followed as quickly as she could, feet stuttering along. She eventually caught up, but that may have just been Hirako slowing down for her. Still, she grinned, exhilarated as she ran away from the rapidly setting sun.

Part IV

Uryuu frowned at the quickly darkening sky. He tugged his heavy book bag closer to him, the weight of the Quincy text within putting a strain on his shoulder. He wouldn't complain, though. As long as it gave him the answers he was looking for, he didn't care.

 _And it better have some._

He'd been blowing through books at a rapid pace, already making it through half of them. Over all that studying he'd found nothing. He might have to consider some alternatives pretty soon.

For now, though, all he could do was get back home before dark. He still had homework to finish and pulling another all-nighter didn't seem like a very good idea.

It was with his back turned, while he was deep in thought, that Uryuu felt a disturbance right behind him, a pressure that sent his skin crawling as power jolted through the air. Breathless he turned around.

Behind him a massive Hollow was dragging itself from a tear in the air that was far too familiar to be a coincidence.

"A Menos?" he whispered to himself.

The Hollow turned to him in an instant, its dark eyes landing on him, and Uryuu's breath caught in his chest. He took one step back, watching as it moved forward, balancing carefully on the spinning-top like structure it had in place of legs. Its tongue darted out, and Uryuu barely had a second to react after that.

It struck, its frog-like tongue shooting out of its mouth like a bullet. Uryuu dove out of the way, reflexes still strong. He watched with wide eyes as the pavement the Hollow struck cracked and crumpled, sending debris flying.

It was a close call, close enough that Uryuu was reminded how even if his reflexes had remained, his loss of power would more than make up for it. Heart pounding, he did what he would have never considered before.

He scrambled onto his feet and ran.

Just as he'd hoped the Hollow's strange form made it slow. Under normal circumstances he would have been able to outrun it no problem.

Right now, running at full speed the Hollow continued to gain on him. He could practically feel its breath on his back as it approached, its large shadow quickly overtaking him. It was going to strike again. He just knew it, and this time he might not be fast enough.

He had to do something before it got that chance. Powerless or not, Uryuu Ishida refused to be helpless. Uryuu reached blindly into his school bag fumbling for something that he'd found in his studies, something that he'd _thought_ might come in handy one of these days.

He pulled out four little cannisters, each the size of a coin roll. _Gintō_ , they were called. With a bit of collected Reiryoku and the right incantation, they could be deadly. He threw them with perfect accuracy.

"Feel the wrath of battle and accept this sacred chalice, Heizen!"

In a burst of light, the four Gintō activated, cleaving the Hollow's arm right off in a single burst. It reeled back with a cry. A victorious grin on his face, Uryuu turned and ran.

The Hollow would doubtlessly need time to recover from that one. Uryuu on the other hand could take that time to get the hell out of–

The Hollow let out a second ear piercing screech and in an instant the shadow was on him again, _two_ arms completely whole and reaching for him out of the corner of his eye.

He ran faster.

He'd need to try another, spell then. Something more debilitating. He had the wire. With its small Spiritual charge, it wasn't much but maybe–

(Nearly tripping over a strike of its tongue, Uryuu felt his heart beat so hard it nearly came out of his chest.)

No, he'd need to reach the mask to do any real damage with that, and to do that he'd need to get much higher.

Glancing over his shoulder he could see the Hollow, uncomfortably close, its head going over the tops of nearby trees. Yeah, he doubted he could get that high, not as he was.

 _He was screwed._

The Hollow's mouth was open, its tongue darting towards him again, and just as Uryuu's looked back his foot caught on an upturned root sending him tumbling to the ground. In that moment he could only think of one thing:

He hoped this didn't hurt as much as getting stabbed by Ichimaru's Shikai.

Above him a flash of light darted across the sky, impacting the Hollow's tongue and taking a few teeth with it. The creature let out a choked cry. Uryuu pulled himself up to his feet.

"What the…?" he gasped out.

"How unsightly."

Uryuu's eyes snapped up to his savior, and he didn't like what he saw.

Before him stood a middle-aged man with pure white hair. He had glasses, was wearing an expensive looking suit, and looked an awful lot like Uryuu. The man was frowning, disdainful eyes settling on him right before darting towards the still screaming Hollow. Frown deepening, he raised the bow in his hand and fired, silencing it for good.

Uryuu's fists clenched, fingers digging into the bark of the tree. "Ryuuken," he muttered.

"Calling your father by his first name, again." The man shook his head. "You never change, do you, Uryuu?"

"That… why…?" Uryuu grit his teeth, collecting himself. "Why are you here? W-what are you doing with Grandfather's bow?"

"I just saved your life," Ryuuken said evenly. "One would think you'd be grateful."

The man allowed the bow to revert to its Cross form, a silver bracelet with a Quincy Cross charm. It was one of the few things they were able to retrieve when his sensei died. The last time Uryuu had seen it his dad had stuffed it into a shoebox.

"Answer the question," Uryuu tried again. "You hate Quincy. What are you doing acting like one?"

Ryuuken let out a long sigh, a hand going to the inside of his suit jacket. He proceeded to take his sweet time taking out a pack of cigarettes and lighting one. Only after he took an elongated drag did he deign to answer.

"I really am tired of this old fight." He leaned back against a tree taking another drag. "I never said I hate the Quincy. I simply said that I have no interest, and you have no talent."

Uryuu just about rolled his eyes. He could already hear the tirade Ryuuken was about to go on.

"Really, you go all the way to the Soul Society to help a _Shinigami_ and manage to lose was little power you had. I have to say, you're more of a fool than I thought."

"You…you knew about that?" Uryuu asked, stiff as a board. "I didn't tell anyone when I went to the Soul Society."

"Of course, I knew," he said casually, "and I've been keeping an eye on you since, too, making sure you don't get yourself killed ferrying rotting spell books this way and that in the middle of the night."

Uryuu was somewhere between shocked and completely infuriated. (How the hell did his father always manage to make him feel that?) He tightened his hold on his book bag until his knuckles turned white.

"You got to gloat," Uryuu said shortly. "The Hollow's gone. I'm going home." He walked away, steps fast and measured, not even thinking about whether he was going in the right direction. He refused to look behind him, keeping his eyes squarely on the ground. Still, he could feel his father's eyes at his back.

Even after exiting the park, his father's Reiatsu so far behind him be could barely even feel it anymore, Uryuu still felt tense. He felt like a good two hours or so of target practice might do him some good, right now. Gods, where was his old training bow when he needed it?

Well, he knew where it was, but he wasn't going _there_ to get it.

His training, bow, along with all the rest of the Quincy stuff Uryuu had grown out of were back at his father's house, shoved away in his old room's closet.

(Actually, he used to assume it was somewhere in the dump along with much of the other Quincy artifacts that were in that house. Today's interactions put a hole in that theory.)

For a moment, Uryuu wondered what else might still be there, what Ryuuken might have that Uryuu had never gotten to look at in the first place. It was hard to know; the man was never one for sharing and getting him to talk about the Quincy back in the day was like pulling teeth.

Still, it was possible he had something. Perhaps even something that might solve Uryuu's problem.

Uryuu stopped dead in his tracks. Had he really just entertained the idea of _asking his_ _father for help_? Had that Hollow hit him on the head without him noticing?

He physically shuddered before walking forward again. There would be no asking his father for anything. He wasn't out of books, hadn't checked all the artifacts, and was far from out of options.

Yeah, that was when he'd ask his father for help. When he was completely and utterly out of options.

(Or possibly with a concussion having somehow lost all bodily control. Whichever came first.)

Part V

Rukia caught up to Hirako just in time to see him face their opponent. It was a Hollow, that was certain, but it wasn't like one she'd ever seen before.

Its wild appearance was not unlike any other run of the mill Hollow, but there were some crucial differences, here. This Hollow towered above them, easily several stories tall. Its hulking form was surprisingly human-like, the fur on its shoulders looking more like a barbarian's cloak than a part of its body and…

"Is that a Zanpakuto?!" Rukia cried out.

Right there on its back was a blade so large it put her sword's old form to shame. It was just the right size for a monster like this.

"It's even worse than I thought," Hirako muttered to himself. It was this that caught the attention of the Hollow.

"A Shinigami?" the Hollow asked, and right there another oddity made itself known. This Hollow's speech wasn't distorted. There were no growls or hisses. It just sounded human. Gathering up the courage she approached the creature, seeing that wasn't the only human thing about it, either.

Through a shadowy crack in its mask she could see a very human face. This face was smiling down at them, murder in _his_ eyes.

Whatever was going on, Rukia lost the plot a while ago, and a question of "what the hell is happening" died on her lips the moment she saw Hirako beside her looking so different from the energetic man from before that he was almost unrecognizable.

He didn't look angry, or anything else so extreme. He looked _bored_. His eyes dropped, his smile had long fallen, and he gazed at the Hollow as if it were a minor annoyance, power leaking from him in small waves.

"Two Shinigami," the Hollow said with a leer. "I'm in luck." His own power flared to life pouring out as strong as water from a firehose. Rukia felt herself being pushed back by it, and with a startled yelp stuck the tip of her Zanpakuto into the ground, anchoring herself.

Hirako did no such thing. He just brushed the hair from his eyes with a single hand cracking a smile, but not one she was used to seeing.

"Sorry to say this, Hollow, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave," he said easily.

The Hollow let out a booming laugh in response, one that shook the concrete they stood on. "Now why would I do that? As if I would let two good meals go to waste."

Hirako held up a finger, his smile gaining a certain edge to it as he said, "See, that's the thing. I can't exactly have you eating my new recruit, and I certainly can't have you razing a town I only _just_ finished moving to…

"So, if you don't run back to Hueco Mundo right now, I'm afraid I'll be forced to kill you."

Something in his tone had Rukia taking a step or two back in caution. The Hollow was not so wise, however. It laughed again, shaking the loose leaves off some nearby trees.

"You sure talk big, Shinigami!" he yelled with a grin. "Do you really think I'm just _some_ Hollow?"

"On the contrary!" Hirako said with a false cheer. "I know exactly what you are, _Arrancar_."

For a moment the Hollow had the decency to look shocked. This didn't last, though. A smirk quickly appeared on his face.

"You know more than I thought," he growled out. "Then pay close attention to this next part. You just might learn something else!"

With his words even more Reiatsu spilled forth cracking the cement below them, shaking the buildings around, and before Rukia's very eyes the top half of the Hollow's mask cracked and fell into nothing. Suddenly she was looking at a different beast entirely.

Rukia suddenly understood how Paku felt back then at the sight of the Menos Grande, completely paralyzed. _This_ was so much worse.

It was a hulking creature, easily bigger than the Menos with horns and a wild expression. It was certainly the same Hollow, but Rukia couldn't even begin to comprehend how. She was just lucky that Hirako wasn't nearly as fazed.

"Interesting," he said evenly. "I have a couple tricks of my own."

The Visored held out his hand and summoned his mask, a pure white thing with ridges down the front and a head piece reminiscent of a pharaoh's. He slipped it on with a smile, held out his still-sealed sword and waited.

With a smirk, the Hollow reached back to unsheathe his Zanapakuto, but the second he got a good grasp, Hirako was already darting forward, faster than Rukia could see.

He slashed at the creature, forcing him to deflect, and Hirako went at him again and again, forcing his too heavy legs to move. The Hollow struggled to meet the attacks, his Reiatsu coming out shaky and unsure.

The deciding moment was as amazing as it was fast.

Hirako sliced at the Hollow's hand cleaving through fingers and forcing him to drop his Zanpakuto with a choked cry. The hulking beast lashed out with his injured hand towards the Visored, and before he could even make contact Hirako muttered something under his breath, a burst of red light coming from the man's hand, cleaving through the Hollow's hand and then his head. He dropped to the ground and disintegrated into nothing.

Hirako landed on the ground gracefully, his mask dissolving as he sheathed his Zanpakuto. With that Rukia was able to breathe again, and the first thing she did was run towards the man, questions already spilling out.

"What was…" she panted. "How did…" She had to get a hold of herself, here! "What was that?!"

Turning to her with an amused expression Hirako asked, "Which part?"

Rukia grinned.

"All of it!"

She got the run down she wanted, in time. Apparently, the final attack he had used wasn't a Kidō, but in fact a Cero, an attack used by powerful Hollows that he'd figured out how to use himself a while back.

Rukia took note of that, excitement bubbling in her chest. This excitement died down when he got to the rest of his explanation.

The creature he faced was an Arrancar, a special type of Hollow that took off its own mask to gain the powers of Shinigami. They were a lot like Visoreds in many ways, were incredibly rare, and while some were naturally occurring, he didn't think that was the case here.

"That half-rate crawled straight from Aizen's lab," he said with a scowl, "no two ways about it. I'm willing to bet the bastard's made more, too. Depending on how powerful they are we could be in some serious trouble."

A part of Rukia wanted to point out that this one wasn't even a challenge for Hirako, that if he could take down an Arrancar as big as that without even breaking a sweat, then how much trouble could they be in.

Something about the look in his eye, though, the way he stared at the ground the Hollow died on, deep in thought, made her decide against it. Instead, she just nodded.

"We… we should go find the other Hollow," she finally said. "You said there were two, right?"

Hirako shrugged. "Someone else already handled it. Our job is done for now." With a sigh he looked up at the sky. It was completely dark out. "You should go home," he added. "We can continue tomorrow."

With a grimace she remembered she still had homework to finish. "Yeah, I probably should," she said. Then, she sheepishly added, "I kinda left my body back at the hideout, though…"

Hirako chuckled at that, turning back in the direction of the warehouse. With a smile of her own she followed.

Whatever was facing them, they could handle it. She was sure.

* * *

 **Eyyy, you know what's fun? Subplots. I might have gotten carried away with them this arc but I had a hecking good time. This chapter introduces a few important ones, my favorite of which being Uryuu's broken relationship with his father. (I play favorites, here. Don't me.) Expect them to get some quality screen time in the future.**

 **(Uryuu, the manga did you dirty, don't worry I'll make it all bet–)**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this. I've been noticing these last few chapters have earned me some Kudo on AO3, and I really appreciate that! I love all your interactions, even when they make me cry. Feel free to leave a review, they give me life.**


	34. XXXIV

**You know what's good about enforcing deadlines? It means you can't rewrite the same chapter five times because you're a little unhappy. I was almost tempted with this one…**

 **Still, I hope you enjoy. (There's some story related notes at the end.)**

* * *

Part I

Rukia shucked off her shoes by the door, the exhaustion of the day just starting to set in. She flipped the light switch beside her, a little surprised that her brother had yet to come home.

Normally he would have been back by now, sitting at the kitchen table and finishing up the last of his work, but that didn't seem to be the case today. She supposed that was fine for now. It at least gave her more room to do her schoolwork.

By the time she'd sat down with her textbook the clock read seven thirty, and a part of her really didn't believe that.

 _Was it really that early?_ Had she really only been going for about twelve hours? It felt more like twenty.

Then again, she thought, _Was it that late, already?_ She felt like there was still so much to do, so much to consider. That day's events gave her plenty to think over, first and foremost being the fights she might be facing in the very near future.

It had occurred to her that Aizen was at fault for this recent influx of Hollows but hearing Hirako say as much made it all feel much more real. So quickly gone was the comfort of just taking each enemy as they came. Now they were up against a unified force, tougher and meaner than anything she'd seen before.

The timing couldn't have been better! There she was, up against a bunch of crazy monsters, Sode nowhere to be found.

Without a proper Zanpakuto, or the accompanying Spirit there to call her a coward when needed, Rukia wasn't much use to anyone. She needed Sode back and she needed her fast. Luckily, the solution seemed well within reach.

(None of that explained how uneasy Rukia was feeling, though. If she managed to figure that out, maybe she wouldn't be sitting at home alone staring blankly at the same first page of her textbook.)

 _Whatever._

Rukia roughly stood from the kitchen table and marched right over to the living room couch. She turned on the TV, flipped to some channel she didn't remember the name of, and went right back to her books.

Worrying and overthinking could happen later. Right now, she needed to get through these worksheets.

Part II

Leaning back in her chair, Rukia jotted down bits and pieces of the teacher's lecture. She glanced down at her notebook, glanced back up at the black board, and then at the back of a _certain someone_.

A few seats away Keigo shivered, looking over his shoulder to see Rukia and Renji sending him piercing looks. He choked back a whimper, and for once kept his head in his books.

 _Briiiiiiiiing!_

The lunch bell rang, a sigh of relief going through the classroom. Keigo got up, bag in hand, ready to make a run for it. Renji had a hand wrapped around his arm before he managed it, steering him right where the two wanted him.

"Wait, wait!" he cried.

"Save it," Renji sneered.

Keigo paled a good three shades or so.

Renji ended up dragging Keigo all the way there, glaring off anyone that looked at them funny. (Not that too many thought this behavior strange, by now.) They went far away from the main lunch crowd all the way to the empty bleachers at the very end of the schoolyard. With a firm hand Renji sat Keigo down, he and Rukia standing on either side of him, boxing him in.

"W-what's the big idea?!" Keigo suddenly yelled. "You drag me all the way out here, and for…?" he trailed off, letting out a dramatic gasp. "You two are here to silence me, aren't you? I know to much about your Shinigami cult and now your boss is going to _drag me away and do who knows what to me just like they did to Ichigo, and_ –"

"Woah, woah, what?" Renji cut off. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Rukia let out a sigh. "Just what did Paku tell you, anyway?"

"Uh… Forget I said anything!" Keigo panicked. "I mean, I don't even know what a Soul Society is–"

"Keigo!" Rukia yelled. His mouth shut quickly. "We're not silencing you! We just want to talk!"

"…So, I _don't_ know too much?" he asked hesitatingly.

"No one's accusing me of that, _trust me_ ," she grumbled.

"We're here to keep you from getting killed, dumbass!" Renji yelled.

For a moment Keigo blinked questioningly. "By what?"

Rukia frowned. This might be harder than she first thought. "Listen Keigo," she started. "We talked to Paku. We both know what you've been doing, and while we think it's sweet that you've been helping her out while we were away, _you need to stop_."

"Wait, what?" For the first time since they'd started talking genuine confusion shone on Keigo's face. "That's what this is about?"

"Uh, yeah!" Renji answered flatly. "I don't know if you've noticed but Hollows are kind of a big fucking deal. They eat guys like you for breakfast."

Keigo stood up fully. "I know _that_ , but why the heck would I stop?! Isn't fighting Hollows basically what you guys do every day? How is this any different?"

"We can protect ourselves!" Rukia reasoned.

"We actually have powers," Renji said exasperatedly.

"I get it, Keigo," Rukia tried. "You found a way to help, so of course you want to, but this stuff is dangerous. You're going to get hurt!"

Keigo stared at the ground, shoulders tensing. "No, you don't get it. Me and her, we make a great team! Maybe, if you saw us, you'd understand, but… but… I like helping her, okay! She _asked_ me to, and…"

"But that's just the thing," Rukia continued, getting closer to him. "She asked you, and she shouldn't have. We've already talked to her told her it was wrong and everything, but Keigo…

" _We had to explain it_. You do realize she isn't human, right? You have to realize that she just doesn't think the same way we do, that sometimes she just doesn't get these things–"

"She gets a lot more than _you_ think!" Keigo cut off angrily.

Rukia's breath caught in her throat. She blinked, mouth shut, unsure of what to even say. Beside her Renji looked equally lost, hand at his neck, eyes averted nervously.

"I'm sorry," Keigo immediately said, slumping slightly. "It's just… I like Paku. I mean, I _really_ like her, and I like doing this with her. I can't help that."

"…Shit," Renji cursed. "You're serious, aren't you?"

Keigo nodded firmly, and suddenly a lot of things slid into place for Rukia, both things that she had suspected and things that she had feared.

There wouldn't be any convincing the two. She realized that now. Under normal circumstances she might have just trusted Paku to protect Keigo as best she could, but with Arrancar on the loose these were hardly normal circumstances. Still…

"Okay," she finally said. Renji turned to her sharply, but she continued before he could get a word in. "It's not like either of us can really stop you. Just…promise me something."

Hesitation clear in his eyes, Keigo eventually answered, "Yeah?"

Rukia took a deep breath. "If you come across a powerful Hollow, and you will know it when you see it, run. I don't care if you think you have a chance. You run."

He took a moment to process her request, and Rukia didn't dare interrupt that. Even Renji just stood to the side, arms crossed, waiting. It took a while, but soon enough Keigo nodded.

"Okay, I will."

With a single look Renji stood down one step, opening the way for Keigo. He sent the two wary looks before running off down the benches and back to the main building.

It wasn't the ending they were hoping for, but Rukia would take it for now.

"So, that's it?" Renji asked.

"Yeah, I guess." Rukia shrugged. "What else could we even do?"

Renji let out a bark of laughter. "Well ain't this a mess?"

"Also, yeah," Rukia said with a grimace. "We have to hope they'll be okay on their own."

Renji scoffed, "You sound like my mom."

"…Shut up."

The rest of the school day was comparatively uneventful. Save for the three Hollows they had to take care of in the latter half, nothing much happened. Classes went by quickly, and soon enough Rukia and Renji were parting ways at the school gate.

Part III

The sun was nearly set, Renji had noticed. He was stumbling back into his apartment, ignoring how one of his nosier neighbors was trying to peak at him through a crack in the door.

Yeah, he knew he looked like shit. That last Hollow packed a punch, and there really wasn't much he could do about it, _was there Mrs. Asakura?!_

He paused briefly in the doorway, leaning against it for a moment debating whether he should really take his shoes off like always. The entire walk home had been painful, enough so that he found himself counting the steps left, just so he'd know when he'd get it over with.

Biting the inside of his cheek he shut the door behind him, bending down to loosen the ties on his shoes as much as possible before kicking them off. _Yeah, that still hurt._

He dropped his bag onto the short table and made a beeline straight for the fridge, reaching up immediately to rummage through it. Where was that damn icepack again?

Barely a minute into his search and a slender tattooed arm was reaching under his shoulder, going behind the chocolate ice cream, pulling out just what he was looking for. His mom handed him the icepack with a careful pat on the shoulder that still had him suppressing a flinch.

"Thanks," he said quietly. With a gulp and a frown, he shut the freezer and turned to his mom feeling awkward as hell.

She was standing there, leaning against the counter, lips pursed as she looked him up and down. It was around then that Renji's self-consciousness kicked in. The scratch on his cheek, the scrape on his right arm, the dried blood on his shirt, even his poorly disguised limp, he was painfully aware of it all.

 _Was escaping to his room still an option, or…?_

"So," she started. His mom cleared her throat.

 _Apparently not._

"I've been thinking about something lately," she continued.

"Really?" He feigned innocence, fiddling with his icepack, not bothering to press it to himself as if that would give him away more than he already was. She sent him a stern frown.

"Really," she said flatly. "You–" she cut herself off chewing her lip, and a wave of guilt washed over Renji without warning. She shook her head, and seeming to regain her nerves continued, "You come back home bruised almost every day, and I don't even know why. Renji, you've gotta give me something, here."

He let out a sigh. "I'm not doing anything bad, mom. I'm not in any gangs. I'm not getting into fights–" not with _people_ , anyway. "So, would you please just leave it alone?"

" _I can't_ ," she said firmly. "You know I can't. Not when you're…" She gestured to him, the state he was in, and letting out a frustrated noise she brought her hands to her face, rubbing her temples and hiding her eyes from view. "Just tell me what's going on… please."

The words held Renji to that spot better than any sword, arrow, or spell ever could.

Okay, he had to think rationally here. He was pretty sure that if he told her the truth, she straight up wouldn't believe him, but if she _did_ believe him, knowing all this would only make her worried, which was definitely the worse outcome of the two. Even worse there was the possibility that just knowing could put her in danger.

( _"…please,"_ she had said.)

Renji had only heard his mom sound so sad, so pathetic, one other time. He was six. Their apartment had just been broken into, and his mom had no idea what to do. Back then, he'd known once was enough. The fact that the second time was his fault made him feel like absolute scum.

So, Renji took a deep breath, steadied his shaking hands (he hadn't noticed they were shaking before, _damn_ ) and started at the beginning.

"…Remember that monster you said attacked you, the one from way back when?"

She nodded, saying nothing. He took that as his cue and launched into his very long explanation.

At first, she looked like she wanted to deck him for trying to feed her such a made-up story, but that quickly melted away into doubt, and then finally realization. Rukia and Ishida's names were dropped. Events that she just barely remembered were brought up, and it all ended with her collapsing back onto the couch, legs weak as she stared up at him, hands limp at her sides.

Around the time he began explaining what the Soul Society was she cut him off, hands waving wildly in front of her.

"Wait, wait, wait! What are you even _talking about_?"

"…The afterlife?"

"Th– God! I'm still hung up over how apparently our apartment was wrecked in a goddamn demon fight!"

"They're actually… Hollows," Renji supplied nervously. She glared at him, Renji shrinking back in defense. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Of course, I believe you!" she cried. "You've always been a terrible liar. Besides, in a weird way a lot of things make sense, now."

"That's… good!" he tried. " _That's good!_ "

His mom let out a sigh, leaning back against the couch, arms crossed. "You're not going to erase my memory again, are you?"

"No, I'm not," he said honestly. There was no way he was telling anyone he'd spilled the beans to his mom.

"And…you're not going to stop fighting, are you?" She sounded heartbreakingly hopeful.

"…No," he admitted.

Her eyes darted away again expression unreadable. Then, in a sudden motion she stood up, marched over to him, and after a single stern look dragged him down into a hug.

He could feel the heat coming from her body, could smell the perfume that she'd worn since he was seven. Here he was, a head taller than her, and she still managed to make him feel like a child. He melted into the embrace.

"Then you gotta promise me something," she said quietly. "Whatever happens you _will_ come back to me safe, understand?"

He nodded into her shoulder.

"Good." She squeezed him tighter before tearing away, a soft smile on her face. "Now sit down. You can tell me more about this 'Spirit Society' while I'm looking for the first aid kit."

"Uh… 'Soul Society,' mom."

"Same thing," she said with a wave.

Sitting down Renji quirked a smile.

Part IV

It was a few hours before sundown, and Rukia found herself pushing open the wide doors of the Visored hideout, mentally running through what she was going to say to Rose.

She wanted to be respectful, make a good impression. If she managed that, maybe her newest teacher wouldn't find a reason to immediately put her through the wringer.

(Was teacher the right word for this? For some reason it didn't seem so to her. The Visoreds treated this more like a weird club than any kind of training camp, so… Maybe calling Rose an 'Upperclassman' might be appropriate. Then again, it probably didn't matter.)

She walked through the dim space, heading straight for the warehouse's "living room." It was much emptier than she'd ever remembered it being, only two Visoreds sitting at the couches. In the distance she could hear the sounds of Mask fueled fighting, though, so the others couldn't have been far.

On one end of the couch nearest to the shelf was Yadōmaru, upside-down (and luckily wearing shorts underneath her skirt), reading some flowery Shōjo title. On the other end was Rose, a pair of overly large headphones over his ears. His wavy blonde hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and in his hands was a notebook. Rukia couldn't tell if he was writing in it, or just tapping out the beat of the music. Either way, he was invested, not even looking up when she came close.

For a moment Rukia just shifted nervously, unsure if she should interrupt him, but knowing that she'd have to eventually. She timidly raised a hand, perhaps to tap him on the shoulder, she wasn't really sure. She never got the chance, because when Yadōmaru finally noticed her the woman reached over with her sock clad foot to shove Rose on the side of his head, partially dislodging his headphones.

Rose tore off his headphones the rest of the way, glaring harshly at the woman next to him. (Rukia could hear heavy metal blaring through them, even from here. What exactly were this man's tastes?)

"What?!" he asked harshly.

"Newbie's here," she said, bored.

It was then that his eyes landed on Rukia, genuinely caught off guard, perhaps even sheepish. He closed his notebook, set it aside, and stood up before her. He was a lot taller than she expected, being maybe the same height as Captain Shiba, thought she couldn't be sure. It was almost intimidating.

"Sorry about that," he said, hand scratching the back of his neck. "I must have lost track of time."

"It's fine," Rukia said stiffly. "I just…" _Remember the script!_ "Hirako said I should talk to you about how to deal with my Hollow."

Rose nodded, letting out a quiet hum, eyes scanning her up and down. She'd been to the hideout twice before, but this was probably the first time he'd bothered looking at her for more than half a second.

"According to Shinji," he said in a flat tone, "our Hollows are quite similar. This would make me the natural choice to help you, but I'm afraid I'm not that great of a teacher."

"I'd be happy with anything you could offer!" Rukia assured enthusiastically. There was no way she was leaving here without getting at least one bit of advice!

Rose frowned, eyebrow twitching. Yadōmaru was hiding her chuckles behind her book.

"Well, in that case…" He trailed off, eyes darting towards the pile of boxes next to the couch. They settled on one shoved off to the other side against the wall. He crouched down next to it, willowy arms shuffling through.

Curious, Rukia decided to peek around his side, noting the contents on the inside with little surprise. There were all sorts of portable music players, some in better states than others. She spotted a few Walkmans, a Discman or two, a portable transistor radio, heck, even that American MP3 player that wouldn't be out for a good few months.

His fingers hovered over a few of them before settling on a Discman that seemed in pretty decent condition. He handed it to her along with the headphones he'd just been using.

"Meditation," he said simply.

Rukia looked down at the devices in her hand and then back up at Rose, utterly confused. "What?"

"You're going to talk to the Hollow," he said casually.

"What?!"

"Come on. Did you really think you could get away with just overpowering the thing?"

She clutched the music player to her chest. "Y-yeah! _I kind of did!_ "

Rose let out a sigh. "That may work for Visoreds like Shinji or Kensei, but it didn't work for me, and I seriously doubt it will work with you."

" _Oh,_ " Yadōmaru sounded suddenly, gazing over her book. "You've got that problem."

"What problem?" Rukia asked, just a little defensive.

"Your Hollow gains power when you do," she answered. The woman scoffed, "Yeah, good luck fighting that. They've got a nasty habit of figuring out how to use those powers a lot faster than you do, not having to deal with things like sleeping, eating, or work and all."

Now that Rukia thought about it… "I think my Zanpakuto said something about that."

"Listen," Rose said flatly, "a Visored's Hollow can come in three different styles. There's those that have their power fixed from the start, Kensei and Shinji were lucky enough for ones like that, those that grow at their own pace, Hachigen, Love, and Mashiro had to deal with those, and finally there's, you, me, Lisa, and Hiyori, who have Hollows that seem to always be just a half step ahead of us."

Sarugaki had the same problem, huh? Rukia wondered how close she was to getting sent to _her_ instead of Rose.

"And, as the old saying goes," Rose continued, "'If you can't beat them, join them.'"

Rukia gulped. This was hardly what she'd had in mind.

"So," she started hesitantly, "I really just have to talk to it? We just have to try and get along?"

Rose winced. "I don't know about that," he said honestly. "I still think mine's an ungrateful prick and he'll call me a prissy coward just about every chance he gets… but you should at least be able to manage a deal."

"Mutually assured destruction is a great motivator," Yadōmaru suggested.

"Okay," Rukia said with a steady nod. "I think I get it now." _Even if I don't like it._ "That still doesn't explain what the CD player is for, though."

"You're meditating," Rose said, plopping back down onto the couch. "Meditation is always better with music."

Rukia blinked up at him for a moment. "Huh…"

He gave her an offhanded gesture, something that said, "go for it."

Determination crawled into Rukia's chest before doubt had quite managed to, and she took that opportunity to sit down on the comfiest looking spot on the carpet, right next to the pile of boxes. She got into position, legs cross, put on the headphones, and booted up the player. She closed her eyes.

Soft piano music came in through the speakers, lilting, sad, and honestly just a little boring. Violins came in playing the song's leitmotif, and it was around then that Rukia felt her mind clearing to the tune of C.

When she opened her eyes, she was back on the frozen lake. The first thing she heard was a heartbreaking series of pained moans.

 _"_ _M-make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. Please gods–"_

Rukia's eyes immediately snapped down to her reflection and what she saw wasn't pretty.

Sode no Shirayuki was hunched over, spine twisted in a way that looked painful. Her hands were clutching at her face, fingers dug in like claws. She made sounds that had Rukia's heart dropping into her stomach.

"Sode…" she said quietly. She pressed her hand against the ice, as if that would bring her any closer to touching the Spirit.

Sdoe showed no indication of hearing Rukia. She just kept shaking her head, her fingers digging deeper.

"Sode!" Rukia yelled.

The Spirit tensed, startled before slowly and jerkily moving her hands away, just enough for Rukia to catch a glimpse of her face. She saw the half formed Hollow mask that her Zanpakuto Spirit's broken fingernails were trying to tear off, cracks that Sode had made smoothing over the instant she let go. Both her eyes were covered, her mouth and left cheek the only things left visible. On that cheek Rukia could see frozen tear tracks.

Rukia…felt like throwing up. She'd left her Zanpakuto like _this_ for so long. She couldn't even begin to think of how she'd make up for this, if the Spirit would ever forgive her. This made her feel no better over what she had to say.

"B-breath, Sode," she said shakily. "Just… I need you to hear me."

 _"_ _Rukia?" she rushed out. Her reddened hands touched the ice, a fresh tear rolling down and freezing before it could drop. "You n-need to go. I can't hold on for much longer!"_

"I'm not leaving you!" Rukia yelled. "I said we were going to fix this together, remember?"

Sode shook her head desperately. _"It's too strong. We can't… we… don't…"_ Her voice broke off into whimpers again as she gritted her teeth, fingers digging harshly into the mask once again. She hunched over further.

Rukia hit the ice. "We can!" she yelled. "You just have to trust me, okay?"

The whimpers paused. After a long moment Sode nodded, and Rukia took a deep breath.

"I need you to let go."

 _"_ _Wh-what?!"_ Sode was breathing heavily again. She seemed to be on the verge of panicking completely.

"It's the only way I can fix this!" Rukia cried. "I know it hurts, but this is the only way, I promise."

 _"…_ _Y-you're sure?"_

No, she wasn't. She had a million doubts locked up in her head starting with the possibility that this was the wrong approach entirely and ending with how she was probably just doomed from the start.

"I'm sure," she said.

 _"…_ _Okay,"_ Sode breathed. _"I… I trust you."_

Sode released her grip on the mask, biting her lip so hard that Rukia was surprised she didn't draw blood. It took less than a second for the mask over to overtake her.

Rukia didn't have any more time to wonder if she'd made the right choice. It was done.

For a moment Sode was limp on the other side. Her hands were relaxed. She was swaying dangerously, as if she were about to fall over, and then, on suddenly steady limbs she stood up.

 _"_ _I didn't think you'd actually do it."_

The voice was instantly recognizable. It was Sode's, but there was something…off about it. It came out distorted, tinny, and rough. Rukia couldn't help the rage that went through her in that moment.

"Well, I did," she started confidently, "and I want to talk."

 _"_ _Talk?"_ the Hollow scoffed. _"You're not here to talk. You're here to beg."_

"Beg?!" Rukia stood up angrily. "I'm not–!"

 _Take a deep breath,_ she thought. There was no need to get this worked up. (She couldn't even see the Hollow's face and she could tell it was smirking for some reason.)

She tried again, calmer, "I'm here to make a deal."

The Hollow crossed its arms letting out a chortle. _"Then make it. I don't have all day. I doubt there's anything you could offer me, though."_

Rukia tried _very_ hard to not rise to the bait again. "How about us not fighting each other at every turn?" she asked. "We can work this out, maybe even get more powerful in the process. That's something you want, right?"

 _"'_ _Power?'"_ the Hollow sneered. _"Tch, goddamn presumptive meatbag…"_

Rukia barely held back a growl. "Well, you wouldn't be doing all this if you didn't want _something_. So, why don't you just cut the bullshit and tell me?"

The Hollow turned to her sharply, a dangerous look in its eye. _"I don't owe you anything, human."_ It practically growled the words, its voice low and dangerous. Rukia refused to be intimidated.

"Don't owe me anything?! This is my power your stealing! I'm the one that–!"

Rukia didn't get the time to finish. In a moment the Hollow turned to her, lashing out a hand, a force hitting Rukia square in the chest. She was knocked flat on her back.

The next thing she saw was the ceiling of the warehouse.

"Are you okay?" Yadōmaru asked from the couch.

Rukia let out a sigh, lying her head against the floor in defeat.

"Sorry," Rose said sheepishly, "I probably should have mentioned it might take a few tries."

With a grimace Rukia levered herself back on her feet. "It's alright," she said. "I figured it might." _Besides,_ she thought, _that could have gone a lot worse._ It certainly helped that the Hollow inadvertently gave her a few things to think about.

"You're a lot more optimistic than I was," he commented. The man settled back in his seat, letting out a sigh. "You probably won't be able to go back in for a while. You can stay if you'd like. We have manga, music… I'm pretty sure Kensei and Hiyori are training out back, so that's an option."

"Or you could just go home," Yadōmaru idly suggested.

Rukia stared into the distance, a frown on her face. "I think… I think I'll just head home." Her eyes went down to the ground. "I have a lot of homework, you know?"

Rose shrugged, accepting. "We'll just continue this tomorrow, then."

"…Yeah," she said absently.

Picking up her bag Rukia shuffled out.

The homework wasn't a lie, actually. She had math, a bit of world history, a few biology notes to look over, but all of it fulfilled exactly one purpose: filling up time until she could draft up a plan for this Hollow negotiation business.

She was pretty sure if she tried thinking about it right this moment, she would just end up going in circles. Her mind would end up cycling back to Sode's face, crying, desperate, and in pain as Rukia could do nothing but watch.

* * *

 **I feel pretty comfortable saying that SPOILERS: Rukia is just a Visored. There's no Quincy/Fullbringer/Hollow shenanigans here. I believe someone last arc had theorized that she might be a Quincy (sorry I don't remember who!) but now I'm comfortable saying no she isn't. Making Ichigo everything imaginable is one of my least favorite things in Bleach. I hated it so much that I'm just writing it out of here with zero guilt and zero consequences.**

 **Have anything to say about all of this? Like my interpretation on Visoreds? Hate it? Hit me up in the comments. They give me life! (I'm so lonely…)**

 **(Psst… The next Interlude is a flashback, and it's one of my favorites.)**


	35. XXXV: Interlude 7

**As some of you may know (or at least I hope you do, having made it this far), I try to not rehash canon events that aren't really affected by this AU. This is not an exception.**

 **Oh, just read it, you'll figure it out by the end.**

* * *

 _Year: 1993_

Uryuu rushed down the stairs, schoolbag slung over his shoulder. He ran past his father's study, stumbled into the kitchen, and–!

"Slow down, Uryuu," a kindly voice said from behind the counter. "You're going to hurt yourself."

Uryuu skidded to a stop, squirming in place. "But I've gotta _go_ , Grandpa," he pleaded. "I'm going to be late." School was quite a few blocks away, and he barely had half an hour!

"You've got plenty of time," his grandfather said resolutely, "at least enough to eat your breakfast."

"But–!"

"No buts. You're eating breakfast, young man. If it takes too long, I will simply drive you there myself."

 _Ugh!_ He didn't want to be driven to school. He was seven for god's sake!

Uryuu bit back a noise of frustration, plopping down into his usual chair at the table, his bag landing solidly beside him. With a wrinkled smile his grandfather put down his tray.

There was grilled salmon, brown rice, miso soup, chopped vegetables (Uryuu knew from personal experience that, at the very least, those would have to be gone before he'd get to leave), and one fried egg with a bright yellow yolk so perfect that the kid found himself lamenting his lack of time to enjoy it.

He grabbed his chopsticks, moving to eat it all as quickly and efficiently as he could.

"Ah-ah-ah, what do we say?" his grandfather interrupted, laying down his own tray.

"Th…thank you for this food."

The elder man nodded graciously. "Thank you for this food."

With that, the two dug in, Uryuu going so fast he couldn't taste much of anything. He could hear his grandfather chuckling as bits of food fell back onto the tray.

Swallowing down a large mouthful of rice, Uryuu asked, "What are we going to work on today?"

His grandfather reached a hand out to him, grabbing a grain that had stuck to his chin, and placing it onto a napkin. "I was thinking we would go back to the hideout."

Uryuu let out a little happy gasp, gulping down a large bit of egg. "Are we going to look at the spell books?"

"Those are a bit advanced for now, I think," the man said. "We will soon, though, don't worry."

Uryuu nodded firmly, polishing off his first two dishes. He wanted to look at them _so badly._ He'd just have to work harder, then! "What about another patrol?" he asked. "When will we go on another one of those?"

Sōken's face fell into something uncomfortable. "I don't have any planned at the moment. They can be quite dangerous."

"What are you talking about?" Uryuu gulped down his vegetables, chewing as little as possible. "You were so cool last patrol! That Hollow couldn't even touch you. Just one arrow and it was down!"

He hadn't been able to forget their last patrol (Uryuu's very first) all week! Uryuu had been on board for this whole Quincy thing before but seeing his grandfather like _that_ had him hooked.

"It's not as easy as you make it sound," his grandfather tried. It seemed he was going to continue until he noticed the look on his grandson's face. Then, something in his own just melted. "I…I suppose I'll see what I can do. I make no promises, though."

"Yes!" Uryuu would have thrown his hands up in the air triumphantly if he wasn't holding his miso soup. He gulped down about half of it before stacking his remaining plates, grabbing his bag once more. He glanced at the clock.

Good! He still had enough time. He started towards the door.

"Wait," his grandfather sounded.

Uryuu suppressed the urge to groan as his grandfather reached behind the counter to grab one last thing. It was a third breakfast tray, still steaming hot.

"Before you go, could you bring this to your father?"

For a moment, Uryuu found himself tempted to ask why his grandfather couldn't just do it himself, but…

He nodded, grabbing the tray and holding it steadily. He walked back into the hall, stopping right at a closed wooden door.

The door looked huge to Uryuu's eyes, looming over him and scaring him in a way that he really couldn't explain. He _hated_ going into the study, and it seemed like his dad rarely left, not since…

Gulping, Uryuu set down the tray. He knocked on the door once, and the second he heard footsteps he darted away, back to the entrance. He ran straight past his somewhat startled grandfather, slipping on his shoes in a hurry.

"Thanks again, Grandpa!" he yelled, already opening the door.

"Y-your welcome!" the man said back. "Have a good day at school."

He closed the door behind him.

…

"So, if you have _this number_ and _this number_ which symbol do you put between them?"

The teacher was at the chalkboard, finger pointed at a blank square between two very large numbers. After a moment or so of squinting Uryuu raised his hand.

"Yes, Ishida?"

"The arrow pointing left," he said confidently.

With a smile the teacher turned back, filling in Uryuu's answer. "Very good," he said right before launching into his explanation.

Uryuu's teachers seemed to do that a lot, lately. They smiled at him, congratulated him, even bragged about him on one specific occasion, and the boy had to admit, he _loved_ the attention. It hadn't always been that way, either. Just a few months ago he wasn't getting any attention at all. Everything changed when his grandfather took him to see that eye doctor.

That brought him to where he was now, studiously taking notes with a proud smile on his face. He raised his hand plenty of times before the end of that period.

Recess was a little different for Uryuu.

At recess, he stayed to the side of the playground, just a few meters away from everyone else. A small pile of rocks was at his feet. Before him was a large tree, a piece of bark torn from it right at eye level. He picked up one of the smoother rocks and threw.

(Don't judge him okay? He needed to work on his aim. It was either this or sneaking in his practice bow, and he did not want to get in trouble for having it at school… again.)

"Yes!" he cheered quietly. It hit the mark perfectly. With a tiny smile he picked up another rock. Out of the corner of his eye he could see two of his classmates whispering to themselves, one sending him a strange glance over her shoulder. He ignored it, throwing again.

No, the other kids didn't talk to him much. Uryuu didn't understand why, but he didn't really mind. Back when he was first entering school his grandfather had sat him down and tried to explain it to him. The look Sōken had on his face was pained, like what he was saying was supposed to hurt.

 _"_ _Uryuu, you can see things that the other kids can't, and sometimes that will make them wary. It's not your fault, and it's not theirs either. Just try to be patient with them, okay?"_

Were they jealous? Were they scared? Uryuu didn't really know because none of them ever told him. All he knew was that he didn't _need_ friends. He had Grandpa. He had Quincy training. That was more than enough for him.

With a grin he threw another rock. _Besides, how many kids could say they fought monsters?_

"What are you doing there?"

Uryuu glanced over to the new voice, eyes going back momentarily when the rock impacted. Darn, it was a little off.

"Target practice," the Quincy in training said tersely. He picked up another rock.

"Oh, _that's_ what you've been doing?" the boy asked incredulously. Uryuu nodded silently, adjusting his slipping glasses.

The boy's name was Asano, if Uryuu remembered correctly. He was from another class and was basically famous. He'd gotten in trouble more than anyone else in school for being what the teachers called a "disruption." Uryuu had seen him outside of his class' door holding water buckets no less than three times.

"Can I try?" Asano asked with a grin.

"…I guess."

"Cool!" He darted towards the rock pile, picking one up with a crooked smile. "What are we aiming at?"

Uryuu pointed to the lighter spot in the middle of the tree.

"Okay…" He rolled the rock in his hands. "Here I go!"

The boy threw it with a look of deep concentration, and Uryuu watched as it hit about ten centimeters too high. He failed to stifle a snort of laughter.

"Hey, don't laugh!" Asano cried, face turned red. "I just haven't been doing it as long as you, that's all."

He picked up another rock quickly, aiming with pursed lips. He closed one eye, drew back his fist, and fired! It missed the tree.

Uryuu laughed out loud.

"You're mean..." Asano mumbled.

Between giggles, Uryuu got out, "You closed your eyes. You can't do that."

"…Huh?"

Uryuu picked up a rock, shoulders still shaking. "How can you see the target well if one of your eyes are closed?"

"I… I guess that makes sense."

"Also," he threw the rock with a grin, watching as it hit the mark perfectly, "You need to add a little spin to it. That way, it'll actually hit where your aiming."

With that, Uryuu bent down, grabbing another rock. He placed it in Asano's hand, the boy looking at him blankly before wrapping his fingers around it.

"Okay," Asano said, tossing the rock up, letting land right back in his palm. Eyes narrowed, he added, "You could have been nicer about it, but I think I get it."

Uryuu shrugged. "Just try it."

Asano frowned, looking down at the rock. He looked back up at the target, and then, eyes open, threw it at the tree. It hit perfectly.

"Woah! I got it!"

"See," Uryuu said with a smug grin.

"I wanna try again," Asano said, already picking up another rock. Uryuu picked up his own right after, smile still on his face.

They alternated throwing, Uryuu not talking much. Asano on the other hand seemed to never _stop_ talking, complaining about his big sister, talking about the soccer ball he had back home, and telling Uryuu about the one teacher he considered to be "not a total meanie."

Uryuu didn't mind much. Asano may have bee loud, but he was alright in his books. Doing this again come Monday might be kinda nice, actually.

 _Ding-Dong!_

The recess bell rang over the intercom, interrupting their fun.

"Dang, already?" Asano asked with a pout.

"Mm-hm," Uryuu sounded, throwing one last rock.

"Welp, it was fun while it lasted."

"It was."

Asano grinned at him, starting towards the school building. "The others have it all wrong, you know. You're weird, but you aren't bad." He waved over his shoulder. "I'll see you later."

Uryuu waved back, saying nothing. A smile crawling on his face he gathered all his rocks, putting them right back in their usual spot. He ran in after.

…

"I'm home!"

Uryuu dropped off his shoes, swinging around his bag as he padded into the house. His eyes darted around the area. The living room, the kitchen, and the table were all empty… _Weird._

He walked through, heading towards the hall, and with a start realized that he wasn't as alone as he first thought.

He could hear muffled voices through the walls. They sounded loud, angry. Holding his bag tight, Uryuu braced himself as he walked through the hall.

 _"_ _Well, someone had to! You're certainly never there for the boy!"_

 _"_ _Oh, and filling his head with a bunch of crap like your doing is being 'there for him?' I'll pass, thank you."_

 _"'_ _Crap?!' This is your heritage we're talking about!"_

 _"…_ _We are not rehashing that old argument, father."_

 _"_ _Maybe I wouldn't have to if–!"_

That was about all Uryuu could bare. He rushed up the stairs as quickly and as quietly as possible, hurriedly closing his bedroom door behind him. He tossed his bag against his desk, and with a deep sigh threw himself on his bed, face down.

Why couldn't they just get along? They weren't always like this.

Or, at least he was pretty sure they wereen't. He never remembered them being very chummy, but he also never remembered any shouting matches _before_.

A knock sounded from the door.

"…Uryuu?" his grandfather called from the other side.

Uryuu raised his head up from the pillow. "…Yeah?"

His door quietly opened, revealing the old man looking rather sheepish. His eyes were at his feet, and he was wringing his hands nervously.

"I… I didn't hear you come in," he said with an awkward smile.

Sitting up, Uryuu kept his pillow hugged to his chest. He shrugged. His grandfather coughed into his fist.

"How about you get ready," the man said suddenly. "Grab your practice bow and meet me downstairs. We'll get some training in and then go out for dinner somewhere. That sounds nice, right?"

Uryuu's eyes snapped up to his grandfather, practically sparkling. "Really? Right now? But I have homework."

"Oh, don't mind that. It is Friday, after all."

"Well…" Uryuu squirmed for a moment. "Okay!"

With a spring in his step he jumped from the bed, scrambling to reach his bow and training uniform. He didn't quite hear his grandfather's sigh of relief as the man closed the door.

When Uryuu left the house, holding his grandfather's hand he noticed his father's shoes are gone.

…

Uryuu fired at the paper target with diligence. His aim wasn't perfect. He still couldn't hit the center mark one hundred percent of the time, but his grandfather seemed pleased with his progress, to the point that every so often the man would move him back to try again from a greater distance.

Target practice was probably one of the most boring parts of training, but it was also the part that Uryuu was the best at. Everything about his Reiryoku control needed work, he knew.

"Uryuu?" his grandfather interrupted suddenly. The boy lowered his bow, turning to the man, just a little confused. He hadn't been going for that long, he was pretty sure.

His grandfather's eyes were averted. He was drumming his fingers against his knee, looking very unsure.

"He…" the man started. He shook his head, trying again. "Your father… I know he doesn't show it often, but you know he loves you, right?"

Uryuu shrugged. Then, with some hesitation nodded his head. His grandfather let out a sad sigh. He walked up to the boy, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Losing your mother was harder on him than he even knows," Sōken explained, "and I'll admit I haven't been helping him much. So, I ask that you try and be patient with him. I, in turn, will try and get along with him better. No child should have to hear their father and grandfather fighting all the time."

Giving him a stiff nod, Uryuu adjusted his bow again, readying himself to fire it. His grandfather placed his hand on the bow.

"Actually," he said, a glimmer in his eye, "I was thinking we could crack open one of the old tomes today, just for a change of pace. Then, tomorrow we could, perhaps… go on patrol?"

Uryuu's eyes widened, a gasp building up in his throat. "Really?"

"Would I lie?"

Uryuu shook his head so furiously his glasses nearly fell off.

"I'll go grab a book," the man said. "I think I know just the one."

…

The next day had Uryuu rushing down the stairs, practically buzzing with excitement. His grandfather was already outside waiting for him, and Uryuu didn't want to keep him standing around any longer.

He ran through the living room so quickly he almost didn't notice the white-haired man sitting at the table quietly, sipping a cup of coffee over a newspaper.

Uryuu nearly did a double take. His father was out of his study on a Saturday morning. He can't remember the last time he'd seen this.

Ryuuken must have noticed his staring, because soon enough he was gazing back at the boy, an eyebrow raised. Uryuu let out a pathetic squeak.

"Dad…" he said with a gulp. The man lowered his newspaper, setting his mug on the table. "H-have a good day at work."

The man took another sip of his coffee, considering. "…Have fun with your grandfather."

Cheeks tinged pink Uryuu rushed out of the door, nearly forgetting his shoes. _He spoke to his dad! He actually did it!_

"What's with that look on your face?" his grandfather, asked amusedly.

"Nothing!" he insisted, already climbing into the back of the car.

His grandfather looked at him strangely for a moment before letting out a chuckle, making his way to the driver's seat. He settled in, adjusting the mirrors and glancing back at Uryuu one last time before pulling out of the driveway.

They headed to the main road, Uryuu kicking his feet excitedly. Ahead of him his grandfather thrummed his fingers against the wheel suddenly reaching to turn down the volume of the radio.

"You remember the rules, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Uryuu said distractedly.

"Can you tell them to me?"

Uryuu straightened up, beginning his recitation. He counted out the rules on his fingers as he said them.

 _One._ "Do exactly as you say." _Two._ "If I see a Hollow, run." _Three._ "No fighting."

" _And_ , if anything happens, call your father," Sōken added pointedly.

 _Four._ "Oh, yeah, and that."

It only took them a few minutes to reach the hideout, right at the edge of town. Sōken parked the car beneath the shade of a nearby tree, only taking a moment to step inside the hideout and grab a bow, a _real bow_. Sōken's signature Quincy Cross glimmered in the light on his wrist, taken from its pedestal in the armory.

He came near the edge of the forest, holding Uryuu's hand carefully. "Stay close," he said with a smile.

For a few minutes they walked silently, going just past the edge of the hideout. This part of the forest really wasn't as pretty, but Uryuu still liked it. The trees here were absolutely huge, and sometimes if he looked closely enough, he could spot little animals.

"Remember what I said about the ribbons?" Sōken asked suddenly.

Uryuu nodded. " _Mm-hm_. We have white ribbons, right, because we're Quincy."

"Good," he praised. "Now, what about Shinigami and humans? What color ribbons do they have?"

"Ooh! Shinigami have red ribbons and humans have… have…" Uryuu's nose wrinkled in confusion.

His grandfather raised a finger and with a wink said, "They don't have any."

"No fair, that was a trick question…" Uryuu pouted, eyes on the ground. He stepped over a crawling snail, careful not to crush it.

"Humans do have Reiatsu, but it's far too little for it to manifest like that. Now, do you remember what color a Hollow has? We went over this one just last week…"

"Uh…" Uryuu _didn't_ remember this one, in fact. His eyes darted around, and suddenly he spotted some movement. He saw a stray cat darting away. Well, actually it looked like it was just a kitten. Its fur was… "Black!"

"Correct!" his grandfather exclaimed with a clap. "Now, learning to sense Hollows is a very important skill, but practicing on them can be risky. So, today we'll be practicing on animals. It should be a challenge with how weak their signatures are, but if you can manage them, any Hollow should be a breeze."

Clenching his free fist in determination, Uryuu nodded up at his teacher. "Got it!"

His grandfather stopped suddenly, a hand at his bearded chin. "Close your eyes," he instructed. "Try to see if you can find a fox. You should be able to find at least one in its den."

Nodding again, Uryuu screwed his eyes shut. For a brief moment he found himself overwhelmed. There was a lot to feel in this forest, and it was pretty hard to parse what was what. There were trees, bugs, his grandfather's own huge presence, and _there–_!

No, that was just the cat from earlier.

He let go of his grandfather's hand, walking a few steps forward. Foxes lived in dens, so they'd be underground, not above it. If he just shifted his focus…

"I found one!" he cried, pointing to a rather innocuous leaf covered hole. In fact, he found a few. There was a whole nest of them!

Sōken clapped happily. "Wonderful! That was quick, too. I'll have to make this next one more of a…"

He trailed off suddenly, looking out into the distance. Uryuu looked up at him in confusion.

"We need to go," the man said. He moved forward, roughly grabbing Uryuu's hand and marching them away from the site.

"What? Why?" Uryuu asked.

"Rule one, Uryuu."

"…R-right…"

His grandfather kept up a punishing pace, Uryuu struggling to keep up. Eventually the man must have had enough because in a flurry of movement he was hefting Uryuu over his shoulder and running at full speed.

For a moment Uryuu was winded, but he didn't dare make a sound. Instead, he scrunched his eyes shut and tried to look for something that he wasn't able to see. He extended outwards.

Uryuu didn't get very far. Very quickly he ran into a couple of presences that had him choking all over again.

 _Hollows._ They were definitely Hollows. He wasn't sure how many. It all just seemed to blend together from where he was, but… two? …three?

In the meantime, Sōken was running faster than Uryuu had ever seen him, before. That didn't matter, though, because the presences were still gaining on them. Suddenly, the man stopped.

He was breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his brow. Without warning he set Uryuu down, eyes darting around until they settled on a rather dense bush. Grabbing Uryuu's hand he dragged him there, shoving him inside.

"Stay here," he commanded. He sat him down, rearranging the branches strategically around his grandson. "Stay quiet, and don't come out until I say so." He stepped back, muttering a few more words under his breath. For a moment his hands glowed, a barrier lighting around the entire bush. Both lights went out, but the power lingered.

Then, he turned away, putting some distance between them. He readied his bow.

Uryuu's breath caught in his chest.

The sounds of branches cracking, and leaves rustling rang throughout the forest. Uryuu's grandfather braced himself, aiming towards the disturbance and firing.

The arrow pierced through the trees, vaporizing branches and leaves alike before it burrowed into _something._ Barely a moment later the target revealed itself, a skeletal creature stumbling forward on all fours, one of its two heads pierced through. The remaining head snarled viciously as it lunged forward, jaws wide open.

Sōken knocked it aside with his bow, stepping back and firing at the creature point blank. Within the second the Hollow had fallen over, disintegrating into nothing.

Barely a moment after another Hollow was upon the man, grabbing him by the back of his cloak. With its muscled arms it threw him against a cracked tree. Uryuu may have gasped out loud if he hadn't had the sense to slam a hand over his mouth.

His grandfather slid to the ground. Oh god, he was going to get up, right?

 _Right?_

Uryuu let out a relieved sigh as the man began to stand up on shaky legs, a gnarled hand clutching the tree behind him. He raised his bow quickly after, firing at the Hollow, only for it to dodge out of the way continuing its path toward him.

The elder man dodged left, giving himself enough space for another arrow. In a bolt of light, the Hollow's arm was severed clean off.

 _"_ _ARGHHH!"_

The sound that Hollow let out was more roar than scream, distorted and filled with an animalistic rage. It lashed out immediately, barreling towards the man. Just before it got within reach, an arrow pierced through its mask. It fell right before Sōken.

The man then smoothly spun around, knocking the final Hollow away, dispatching it quickly with one last arrow.

Finally, he stood there, visibly worn out, but victorious. Uryuu nearly cheered. The man wasted no time approaching his grandson's hiding spot.

"Come on, Uryuu," he said, urgency clear in his voice. "We must hur–!" A burst of wind went by them, and suddenly, with a choked noise, Sōken fell.

A large spike, the size of Uryuu's entire arm, was protruding from the man's back.

"Grandfather!" Uryuu reached out a hand, snapping back when the last Hollow stepped from the shadows.

 _"_ _Troublesome pest,"_ a distorted voice sneered. The creature was stout and ugly, a row of spikes protruding from its back. It walked up to his grandfather, kicking the man solidly in the side. He let out a low groan.

Uryuu whimpered. The Hollow's eyes snapped over to his hiding spot.

 _"_ _Well, well, well… What do we have here?"_ Its grin was audible, and it had Uryuu trembling. The Hollow gave his grandfather one more kick before stalking over to the boy.

Uryuu was supposed to run here, right? Then why couldn't his legs move? Why did his whole body feel like it was going numb?

Oh, god… He was going to die here, wasn't he? He was going to die against some stupid Hollow, just like his mom.

The Hollow came close, so close that Uryuu could feel its hot breath. He could see its beady eyes through the holes in its mask as it gazed down at him in amusement.

 _"_ _Ooh, it's a baby Quincy! I bet he'll taste much better than that rotten old ge–!"_

In a burst of light, a hole was put right through the Hollow's forehead. It dissolved as it fell, turning to nothing before it even landed on the ground. Beyond it, Uryuu could see his grandfather, propped up on his elbows, a flickering bow in his shaky grip.

Uryuu stood on trembling legs, moving to leave the bush, to rush to his grandfather's side. Before he took a single step, the man gave him a harsher look than he'd ever given the boy before, one that sent Uryuu right back to his knees.

 _That was the last one… right?_

He heard footsteps.

"I can't remember the last time I've had an opportunity like this!"

"It was ten years and two months ago," a flat voice answered. "The subjects were–"

"Did I ask, Nemu?"

"No, sir."

From the brush, not as an attack or an ambush came two… people. Well, one looked like a person.

There was a woman with pretty black hair tied into a braid, and a man that looked a little like a clown. He had black and white face paint, odd gold fixtures on his head, an even _odder_ headdress, and a smile that sent a shiver down Uryuu's spine worse than any Hollow ever had.

That smile was directed right at Sōken. It fell immediately.

"Great," the man grumbled, "look how old he is. I'll be lucky if he survives even one procedure. Not to mention he's," he crouched down, grabbing the spike, shaking it with emphasis and drawing a cry from Sōken, " _damaged._ "

Uryuu stifled his own cry.

"I'm sorry, sir," the woman said. This earned her a harsh glare.

"He should be salvageable," he said, waving his hand. "Just go find the other one."

"…Other one, sir?"

The man clicked his tongue in annoyance. " _Other one,_ there's always another one. These Quincy travel in packs like goddamn dogs. Find it."

"Understood."

At those words, Uryuu shrank back in his hiding spot, curling in as tight as possible. His hand was clamped over his mouth like a vice as he tried to make himself as quiet and as small as he could. His heart pounding in his ears, he suddenly realized something.

These weren't normal people. They were Shinigami, the type that _hunt_ Quincy. His grandfather told them they didn't do that anymore, so why… He held back another whimper.

The woman went across the field quickly, going so fast that Uryuu would lose track of her for several seconds at a time. This only frayed his nerves further, eyes trying and failing to stay glued to the searching woman.

She circled around, checking every nook and cranny, before finally, in a move that had Uryuu's heart stuttering, she stopped right in front of his hiding spot, her legs in full view. He fell back onto his butt, shaking hard. She crouched down.

The woman was pretty, prettier than someone like her ought to be. Her bangs were cut straight across her forehead, framing her bright eyes, eyes that were looking right at him. She paused, glancing him up and down. She rose up quietly.

"There's no one else," she finally said.

Uryuu's breath caught in his chest. The man looked at her disbelievingly.

"You're certain."

"Yes, sir."

He stared at her, gaze hard and searching before finally looking away.

"Then what are you standing there for? Help me carry this one."

She moved away silently, not betraying a single a thing. She hefted Uryuu's grandfather over her shoulder, as if the man weight nothing, hardly flinching when the man let out a strangled moan. The two walked away.

 _What… just happened?_

Uryuu thought that over and over as he crouched there, frozen. He couldn't move, even after they disappeared into the forest. He didn't know how long he stayed there.

Eventually, he did unfreeze, though, hand falling away, a few tears escaping him. He croaked out the first word that came to mind.

"…Gra–"

The sound of rustling leaves had him slamming a hand over his mouth again. His eyes darted around in a panic.

A fox darted across the field, disappearing back into its den.

Uryuu scrambled up after that, legs shaking as he glanced around the forest. He stumbled out of the bush, tried to remember what direction they had been going before and _ran_.

He went far, not really registering things like the branches whipping across his face, or the amount of times he tripped. He didn't even notice that his glasses were cracked by the end of it all. He just kept going, pausing for a brief moment by the car before rushing straight into town. He wasn't even sure what he was looking for.

Then he saw a payphone at the side of a gas station.

 _Rule four…_

His hands went to his pockets, retrieving some spare change that had floated in there the last time he and his grandfather had gotten ice cream. How much did he need? He really had no idea. He was barely even tall enough to reach the dial, but after a few missteps he managed. He called the hospital.

 _"_ _Hello?"_

He opened his mouth, tried to say something, but could hardly manage more than a croak.

 _"…_ _Hello?"_ The voice was getting annoyed now.

He couldn't say anything. What the heck was wrong with him. He needed to say something!

 _"_ _Tch… damn prank callers…"_

The nurse was going to hang up. His heart was hammering all the way up to his throat because she was going to hang up and–

"…I…" he finally sounded.

 _"_ _Huh…?"_

"I need…" He was sniffling he realized, cheeks wet with tears again. "Can I speak to my dad?"

 _"…_ _Sweetie, this is a hospital number. I'm sorry, but–"_

"His name is Ryuuken Ishida. Please, I need to talk to him."

 _"_ _Uh…"_ the woman hesitated for a moment. _"Okay. Stay on the line."_

He waited, sitting on the ground in the phone booth, the receiver stuck in an iron grip. The minutes it took for his father to get to the phone felt like hours to him. During that time, he tried (and failed) to get himself together.

 _"…_ _Uryuu?"_ a voice he recognized asked.

Something about that sent another wave of tears down Uryuu's face. He could barely hear his own sobbing, could barely even feel how unbearably hot it was in the phone booth.

"…Dad…?"

…

It was many hours after dark, and Uryuu was still up, sitting at the kitchen table. His head was in his arms, his eyes were drooping, but he wasn't going to sleep, not until his dad returned.

The man had left the house the very moment he'd dropped Uryuu off, only giving him a few words.

 _"_ _I'm going to find him,"_ he had growled out.

So, there Uryuu was, up past midnight, later than he'd ever been up before. Just then, the front door opened.

Ryuuken walked in, head down. His shoes were muddy, his pants were torn, his glasses were gone, and blood had stained his suit jacket. He closed the door behind him, putting away his shoes with a wince.

"D…did you find him?" Uryuu asked quietly.

The man didn't look at him. He walked past the kitchen entirely. In his clenched fist he held Sōken's Cross.

"What happened?!" Uryuu yelled suddenly. "Did you see them? What–?"

The study door slammed shut.

* * *

 **Not much to say here, except so begins by march to characterize the Ishida family in a way that doesn't make me want to stick a pen through my eye. So, also begins my journey to fill the Mayuri Kurotsuchi sized hole in this AU.**

 **Yadda, yadda, yadda… review begging… gives me life… etc., etc.**


	36. XXXVI

**This is a fun chapter, one that I found surprisingly difficult to get into at first. Much of (my) Visored Arc is just a very fun training montage, so I hope y'all are ready for that. Now, this chapter is a lot shorter than the others. I hope you'll forgive me for that, but the word counts of these should start climbing again after this.**

 **Sit back, grab some tea, and enjoy!**

* * *

Part I

 _...and thus, dispatch of the officers named below will take place in no less than seventy-two hours…_

 _…_ _dispatch of the officers…_

 _…_ _of the…_

Kisuke closed his eyes tightly, a hand going up to try and rub away the tiredness and burning. He was pretty sure he'd just read that last line about five times, and he _still_ had no idea what it said. Why did nothing seem to be sinking in today?

 _How much trouble would I get in for just signing the paper right now, not even bothering to finish reading it,_ he thought.

The moment he thought it his brain was shooting down the idea with little remorse. It would be just his luck that hiding somewhere in this document was yet another budget cut for his division. He quite literally couldn't afford something like that right now.

A part of him yearned for the days when he had a Lieutenant to take up some of the burden.

Another part of him had nothing to say to that Lieutenant other than _good fucking riddance,_ and dear gods his headache was back again.

Kisuke kicked back from his desk, practically melting into his rolling chair. _Those thoughts_ reminded him of something that he'd really rather not, a certain piece of paperwork that he'd been perpetually keeping at the bottom of the pile for nearly the last week.

The Captain Commander had been bothering him about it, too, bringing it up at just about every meeting (and boy were there plenty of meetings, with poor Karakura town being flooded with so many Hollows lately). So, it seemed like just about every day Kisuke was being bothered about when he'd finally get started on the search for Kurotsuchi.

He was allowed to bring whomever he wanted to assist (within reason). All that he needed to do was bring that bastard here (ready and willing to help, specifically) within three weeks. It'd make for an easy mission if they were talking about anyone but Kurotsuchi, here.

His old Lieutenant was a crafty man, and the two had separated on just about the worst terms possible. Finding the man would be incredibly difficult. Convincing him would be completely impossible.

Shaking his hair out (and realizing briefly that he _really_ needed a shower) Kisuke tried to think this out. To understand a problem as a whole you needed to know its components. Problem number two can come later. First, he needed to solve problem number one.

He knew he needed a tracker for this job, and not just _any_ tracker. Obviously, Yoruichi would be his first choice, but he doubted he could get her approved. Her status in the Soul Society, while better than before, still floated somewhere between "not quite enemy number one" and "well, we guess you're not a criminal." He needed a second choice, here.

Kisuke's eyes drifted back to his paperwork and the mountain it made on his desk. Maybe his second choice could be conveniently forgetting to file the mission paperwork due to all this other shit on his desk?

With a grimace he reached over and grabbed the paper he was reading before. Procrastination saved the day again, it seemed… His eyes scanned the paper, attempting to find where he'd last left off.

 _…_ _no less than seventy-two hours._

 _Those officers shall be: Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Lieutenants Rangiku Matsumoto, Ta…_

 _Tatsuki Arisawa…_

He paused at the name, smirking to himself. That girl… She'd been quite the wild card during the Ryoka's invasion.

He still remembered when Yoruichi told him the news, how this Lieutenant had found the hideout so easily. His jaw had just about hit floor, but Yoruichi, she'd looked _pleased_ of all things. In that moment, he'd felt a little bad for the girl. Yoruichi's been known to be… demanding of her pupils.

Kisuke's eyes widened.

"Jintaaa!" he called.

The boy poked his head around the corner looking incredibly annoyed.

"What?" Jinta asked curtly.

"Make a call to the Sixth for me. I need to speak with Miss Arisawa."

The boy stared at him eyes narrowed. "…Fine," he eventually said, "but at least tell me why."

"Just," he paused momentarily, glancing back at the one paper stuck at the bottom of the pile, "tell her it's important. With a wave he added, "Captain Commander stuff."

Jinta rolled his eyes so hard Kisuke was surprised they didn't pop out of the boy's skull. Grumbling to himself, he stalked away, either in search of the nearest Jigokuchō or to bully Ururu into doing it for him. Either way, it looked like this was getting done sooner than Kisuke first thought.

Dread settled deep into his stomach.

Part II

 _Briiiiiing!_

Barely a second after the bell rung, students started chattering, their relief of the finished week nearly visible. The teacher tried to speak over them and clarify the weekend's assignments, but it was all for naught. In the middle of all this was Rukia, stuffing books and papers into her bag before slinging it quickly over her shoulder.

"Hey," Renji said in a hushed tone beside her, "you going to the, uh, 'hideout' again?"

"Mm-hm," she hummed. "I'm going to try and talk to _it_ today." Even just saying those words increased her anticipation (or was that just anxiety?). She'd only been waiting twenty-four hours, but to her it might as well have been weeks.

"I should probably wish you good luck then," he said offhandedly. Renji reached for his own bag, short sleeve of his uniform riding up slightly. A cold jolt went through Rukia's stomach. Instead of clear skin, or even tattooed skin she caught a peek of bandages wrapped around his bicep and disappearing into his shirt.

What Rukia was thinking must have been plain to see because Renji reacted immediately.

"I didn't get this from fighting!" he exclaimed. He scratched the back of his neck, eyes averted. "I just thought, since my powers come from my tattoos 'why not get more?'"

Rukia's eyes went to the ground, embarrassed. "Oh," was all she could get out before she started heading for the door. Renji followed behind her with quick steps.

"So, yeah," he started awkwardly, "it's nothing to worry about."

She pursed her lips. "But… you'd tell me if it was, right?"

"Was…" he trailed off an eyebrow raised. Rukia turned to him sharply.

"You'd tell me if it was something to worry about, right?"

For a moment he stopped, eyes wide. He brushed it off quickly with a smirk and a scoff. "I can handle myself, you know. Just stick to worrying about your training."

She held his stare for a good few seconds, challenging, but he didn't back down and probably never would. In the end, she just let out a sigh, turning back around and walking forward again.

"Well, _someone_ has to worry," she said with a pout. "You certainly won't."

"Yeah, yeah, _hypocrite._ "

Rukia let a hint of a smile crawl on her face. She forced it down the second they reached the school gates.

"Whatever," she said grumpily, "just try and still be in one piece by Monday, okay."

With a smug grin he waved her off, marching towards Kukaku's shop, somehow getting the last word in without even having to speak. Rukia had to resist the urge to roll her eyes as she began heading in the opposite direction.

Without Renji there to act as a filter, her mind pretty immediately went to her true problem of the day.

Twenty-four hours may not have been very long, but it was enough time for her to think over her last (and so far, only) conversation with the Hollow.

Had she thought about it enough to actually solve the problem? She really had no idea, but hopefully she'd have something of an edge when she tried again. At the very least she understood a few things that she hadn't before.

For example, she knew that the Hollow wasn't in it for the power, assuming the thing's immediate and negative reaction could be trusted. In fact, it didn't seem to want anything to do with Rukia at all. The only thing it _did_ want was…

 _…_ _was…_

And that was where she'd get stumped. She just couldn't figure out what it wanted. What she needed here were clues, of which she had plenty. She just needed to use them.

The Hollow seemed to like its hostile takeovers, having hijacked both her and Sode no Shirayuki on several occasions. It's also saved Rukia's life multiple times, even though it seems to hate her. It was almost as if the Hollow was saving her body for… itself.

 _…_ _Wait a minute…_

Eyes widening Rukia hurried towards the hideout. She got plenty of strange stares from random pedestrians, but she ignored them all. Only one thing was on her mind, then.

With barely a pause she tore into the warehouse, ignoring the startled Hirako that she blew straight past. She dropped her bag, plopped right back into her spot from yesterday and didn't so much as meditate her way into her Inner World as she did force her way in.

The second she felt the sharp cold on her skin, before she even opened her eyes, Rukia spoke.

"You do know I can't give you my body… right?"

 _"_ _Yeah!"_ it scoffed, annoyance in its eyes. _"Why do you think I was trying to take it?"_ It said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Rukia let out a huff. "And how's that been working out for you so far?"'

The Hollow gazed at its nails, perfectly manicured as Sode's always were. " _Pretty good, actually."_

"What if I told Sode no Shirayuki to start fighting back, again? Would that still be good?"

 _"_ _Be my guest,"_ it said haughtily, _"and watch your powers go back to shit in return."_

Rukia crossed her arms, eyes averted. "If it means keeping my body, fine by me. I like having _that_ a lot more than being a Shinigami."

The Hollow paused, eyes narrowing. _"What are you getting at?"_

Rukia gulped, sweat trickling down the back of her neck despite the extreme cold. It had _worked._

"A deal," she finally said. "There's no way I'm just giving you control all the time, but maybe we can reach a compromise."

 _"_ _What, like taking shifts,"_ it grumbled.

"No," Rukia started. She resisted the urge to fidget uncomfortably. She'd started this bluff. It was her job to finish it. "I mean, like you come out when I want you to."

 _"_ _What?"_ it growled. The ice beneath Rukia's legs shook slightly, tiny cracks appearing on the surface. _"No goddamn way. I refuse."_

"Okay," Rukia said with a measured shrug. "Then we keep on fighting each other until Aizen eventually comes and kills us without so much as a struggle."

The lack of response from the Hollow was deafening.

"…Or," Rukia continued, "we coexist, work together, and get stronger than that bastard could even imagine, but we do it on my terms."

The Hollow's nails dug into the ice, furrows showing up on Rukia's side. Rage was in its eyes.

 _"…_ _And what would those terms be?"_

Rukia let out a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding.

"You let me summon the mask when I want," she said. "We figure out the rest together."

It sneered, _"Is that really it?"_

"No," Rukia said sharply. "You also have to promise me that you'll stop tormenting Sode."

The Hollow's eyes narrowed into glowing blue slits. With a flourish of its borrowed robes it stood up, head held high.

 _"_ _Deal."_

When Rukia's eyes opened she was back at the hideout. Yadōmaru sat above her on the couch, peeking over a racy manga cover, a single eyebrow raised.

Rukia grinned.

"You did it?" the woman asked.

"I… think," Rukia answered, standing up. She shook out the pins and needles that had settled in her calves. "I made _a deal,_ at least."

The woman closed her book, a curious look on her face. "Try summoning your mask." For a moment Rukia was confused.

"I'm still in my human body," she said steadily.

Bringing a free hand beside her the woman gathered a visible power into her palm, and in the blink of an eye she was holding a bone white mask, a large cross cut into the front.

"And I'm in a gigai," she pointed out. "Just try it."

Rukia stared at her own hand, wondering. "Okay," she said hesitantly. "I guess I could give it a shot."

Sucking in a deep breath, she turned all her focus to her hand, pouring in power as if she were preparing an attack in her spirit body. Even trying felt odd. She was certain she would never have thought of doing such a thing on her own.

Eyes squinted, and muscles clenched, she collected what she could, and a with slump of her shoulders she realized all she was doing was making her palm a little frosty. She looked back to Yadōmaru with a frown.

"You're doing it all wrong," the woman said immediately. "You're drawing on your power like a Shinigami. You need to do it like it Visored."

"How do I do that?" Rukia asked exasperatedly.

A look of consideration came over the woman's face, then. She tapped her chin, eyes down. "Well, Shinigami only have one pool of Reiryoku to draw from, but Visoreds, we have a second one. You need to draw from that."

 _You need to draw from your Hollow side_ , she didn't say.

"I understand," Rukia said with a nod. Yadōmaru returned to her book.

Staring at her hand, Rukia tried to sift through her own power, drawing from her Hollow side. _Tried_ was the key word, there. Her eyes fixed, she muttered to herself.

 _A Hollow's Reiatsu is dark. I just need to find that._

She stood up, pacing to the wall, then to the end of the couch, then around, mindlessly going around the warehouse.

 _I sure wish my Hollow bothered telling me how to do this, the useless squatter._

She walked for a long while, eyebrows furrowed as she stared at her hand. She wandered right to the door, weaving out of the way when it opened to Rose and Aikawa in the midst of a mildly heated argument. The two gave her a double take before walking all the way to the couch, plopping right beside Yadōmaru who gave them an icy glare from the top of her book.

"I'm telling you," Rose bit out, "that Hollow reminded me of Gido."

"And I'm telling you, it looked nothing like him."

"He had the whole one peg leg thing! Besides, it's not just about looks. Mannerisms, attitude, it was all there!"

Aikawa let out a low groan.

Rukia tapped her foot in place, eventually settling on a wide window ledge, not paying the other Visoreds any mind. She went from sitting, to lying down, to sitting upside down, all while staring at her hand.

It was near sunset when she finally stood up again, this time victorious.

"I did it!" she yelled. Her hand was in the air, clutching a fanged mask. It felt surprisingly light in spite how much chaos it was capable of causing.

"Hey, looks like the newbie's got it!" Aikawa said with a relaxed grin. Beside him Rose lowered his copy of _Hunter x Hunter_ that he was previously using as evidence. At the moment he seemed to just be reading it.

"You should try fighting with it," he suggested. "Hiyori and Kensei are always up for a match or two."

Staring down at the mask, Rukia felt her elation turn as a bit of fear jolted in her stomach at the thought. Yeah, that idea still scared her, despite the progress.

"I'll come back for that tomorrow. I think I'd better go home, for now. I'd like to… check on my Zanapkuto, if that's alright."

"We'll be here," Rose said with a shrug. He continued his reading.

Tucking the mask into her already overstuffed schoolbag, Rukia rushed out of the hideout feeling lighter than ever.

Part III

 _"_ _Welcome back to the land of the living."_

"You're still here I see."

 _"_ _Is there a reason I wouldn't be?"_

"I can think of several."

 _"_ _Well… we could always go back to how we were. Hearing you scream's a lot more entertaining than this."_

"I'd like to see you try. As long as you're here Rukia's deal binds you. You're powerless."

 _"…"_

"What? Did I strike a nerve?"

 _"…_ _You're a real piece of work, you know that?"_

"Ditto. Now, tell me, Hollow. You made a deal with her. Are you willing to make one with me?"

 _"_ _Tch, it's as your master said. I don't exactly have a choice."_

"She's hardly my… You have a lot of things to learn here, don't you?"

 _"_ _Are you going to be a patronizing bitch, or are you going to say what your deal is?"_

"Being a patronizing bitch is something of a pastime, but yes, I'll tell you. I'm willing to freely give you my power, no takeover necessary and absolutely none of this parasitic nonsense. You just need to play nice."

 _"_ _You've… met me, right? I don't really do the whole 'play nice' thing."_

"I'm sure you could learn, one way or another. Acting as Spirit guide can be quite fun, you know."

 _"_ _You're… wait… are you trying to be nice to me?"_

"Darn it, foiled again!"

 _"_ _I will find a way to kill you."_

"Look, we were both thrown in here together. Rukia believes this can work, so goddammit I'm going to try. I don't like you, but let's be honest, there's hardly any point in hating you."

 _"_ _I don't like this."_

"…"

 _"_ _Fine. I'll play nice. Just stay out of my way."_

"That's all I ask."

Part IV

At an hour so late it was nearly morning, Uryuu sat at his desk. Before him was a heavy tome, closed, and a filled notebook, open. Within the notebook were dozens, if not hundreds, of hastily written blurbs, pieces of information he'd found that were at least related to his problem.

He flipped through them, a deep frown on his face.

There was the Quincy King a man that supposedly could take and bestow powers. He wouldn't be helping any time soon, though. He'd been dead for nearly one thousand years.

Then, there was the golden sword, Gram, which is promised to either bestow powers on its user or _kill them_. He didn't have the nerve to try. (Not that he knew where it was.)

There were at least three cases of Quincy with power bestowed under mysterious circumstances sometime around his grandfather's generation. Notably, everyone from that generation were either dead or missing (which really just meant dead).

Things like that were what made up his notes, dead mythological figures, lost rituals, missing artifacts, and a ton of information that might be interesting if absolutely any of it was useful. The fact that those notes were all his research had amounted to in the end was downright disheartening.

Running a hand through his tangled hair, Uryuu slid off his glasses, trying to pretend that his eyes weren't burning as badly as they were.

It was during times like these that he really wished his grandfather were still here. He would know what to do, or at least what to _say_. He had the knowledge of a generation long past, knowledge that he hadn't had time to pass on before…

 _But that was wrong, wasn't it? He did manage to pass it on, just not to me._

No, no, no, he was not going there. He wasn't that desperate, yet.

Shoving the notebook in his desk drawer, Uryuu stood up from his chair, stretching his aching back. Tomorrow he could take another look at the artifacts back at the hideout. It had been a while since he'd really combed through it all. There was the possibility that he'd missed something.

Right now, he needed to take a shower.

Part V

"Sode!"

Rukia's voice echoed down the icy lake. Her eyes darted around, down to her reflection, towards the dark sky, and finally–

"You don't have to yell."

Rukia spun around, seeing Sode no Shirayuki, standing before her, a smirk on her lips.

"You're okay," Rukia sighed out.

 _"_ _Of course, she is,"_ a voice scoffed. _"I keep my word, human."_

Eyes briefly widening, Rukia looked down at the ice only to see the Hollow in Sode's reflection. The Hollow waved at her cheekily. Her eyes went back to Sode, alarmed.

"Let's just say I made a little deal of my own." The Spirit tossed a lock of white hair over her shoulder. "It wasn't too hard, really."

 _"_ _She's a lot better at it than you, ya know,"_ it said, deadpan. Rukia wasn't quite sure who the Hollow was referring to.

"So… it'll just be there now, huh?"

"As stubborn as a cockroach, she is," Sode sighed, "but it seems our resident Hollow _can_ learn."

 _She…?_ Rukia decided to go along with it.

"What deal did you make with… her."

Sode's lip's pursed. Her eyes went down to the Hollow, a pointed look making it across. The Hollow rolled her eyes.

"It's hard to put in terms you could understand," the Spirit tried.

 _"_ _Not that hard. What, are humans real slow or something?"_

Sode sent her a glare. Her eyes went back to Rukia. "You'll find out soon enough," she said simply.

"Got it…" That wasn't the most comforting thing Sode could have said, especially considering what she was going to do tomorrow.

She looked back up at her Zanpakuto, the Spirit's eyes still trained on her. There was an odd look in them, one that Rukia couldn't quite describe.

"What?" she asked hesitantly.

Sode blinked, almost like she'd been unaware she was giving that look at all. "It's nothing," the woman said. "Just try to remember our goal."

Rukia grinned. "I guess the work's just begun, huh?"

"That might be putting it lightly," Sode said with a smile.

The Hollow groaned suddenly, throwing her hands up in the air. _"I can't take any more of this crap! We get it. You're a big damn hero. Goodbye!"_

A burst of cold air hit Rukia square in the face, forcing her eyes closed. When she opened them, she was back in her room, sitting on the floor. A wide grin was on her face.

Alone in her room she cheered silently, aware of just how late it was. She'd made some progress today! She even managed to keep her promise, and (hopefully) regain some of her old power. Things were going right for once.

* * *

 **Hello, my dear sweet users. As some of you know I've been cross posting this entire fic over at AO3. I've been using that sight for a while, and while not perfect, I think it's great. For example you can do things like moderate comments, which due to one bad cookie here has become a necessity. (You can check this fic's review page yourself to see what I mean.)**

 **I'm not gonna move there permanently without warning, though, and certainly not if you guys aren't cool with it. So yeah, are you cool with it? And for those of you that have been here since the Rose Garden days back in middle school, do you want me to cross post that, too?**

 **Tell me what you think. (Your reviews give me life and I am starved for human contact.)**

 **Have a nice day!**


	37. XXXVII

**A slightly longer chapter than usual. It's a fun one though. (Important thing at the end, please read!)**

* * *

Part I

Rukia rushed down the stairs, up bright and early on a Saturday morning. The second she reached the kitchen she was grabbing for the first edible things she laid eyes on (a slice of bread that was quickly eaten and an apple that she shoved into her dress pocket.)

"Up already?" her brother asked from the kitchen table. That wasn't terribly unusual for him for this hour, or this day. The well pressed shirt and tie was, however.

"The club I joined is having some weekend meet," she said smoothly. Then, as a rather unsubtle diversion she asked, "What about you? I didn't think you had work today."

"Some rescheduling happened last minute," he said. "You know how it is. That's quite the unusual club, though. They really have you going out for a weekend meeting?"

Rukia held back a grimace. "Our leader is… eccentric," she tried. That part wasn't technically a lie.

The look she got in response was near unreadable, and she quickly found herself squirming under the attention. Did he buy it? Did he see through her lies and half-truths? _The silence was killing her!_

Abruptly, he stood up, coffee abandoned. Her heart just about stopped. He walked over to her, grabbed something from his pocket, and placed it one the counter, sliding it towards her.

"It's yours," was the first thing he said.

With a nervous gulp she grabbed it, holding it up to the light. "A… cellphone?" She turned it over in her hand, admiring the way the silver casing shone. It was thin, simple, and strikingly similar to the one that she knew Byakuya owned. The only difference was the rather cute Chappy charm attached.

"You've been going out so often," he explained, "giving you a phone seemed like the best course of action. My number is already programmed onto it."

"Th-thank you!" she exclaimed. She'd never had a cellphone before. She needed to explore it the first chance she got.

"If you ever need anything, call me on this," he continued. "My phone is always on."

She looked from the time display, to the inner screen, to the charm that she knew could only be obtained from those capsule vending machines down in Shibuya. She looked back up at him.

"I don't know what to say," she muttered shyly.

He gave her a resolute nod. "Have a good time at your club."

A grin tugging at her lips, Rukia was overcome with an impulse, and without any hesitation she followed it. She grabbed Byakuya by the midsection and hugged him as tightly as she could. For a moment she felt him stiffen, but just as quickly the man relaxed, laying a hand on her back. She could hear him let out a little sigh.

A few seconds later she removed herself, slipping her new phone into her pocket alongside the apple.

"I'll be back by dinner," she promised, moving towards the door.

"I might be a bit longer, but hopefully not by much."

With a nod and a grin, she slipped on a pair of old sandals. With a wave and a "I'll see you later" she walked out of the door.

A certain warmth settled in Rukia's chest as she set a brisk pace to the hideout. The place was a way from her house, but hey, the walk made for a decent morning workout, and it gave her some time to finish her makeshift breakfast.

(It certainly helped that she was in such a good mood.)

She was at the huge warehouse in a little over half an hour, passing through the barrier easily. She counted two fewer presences than usual. Hopefully neither of those two were who she was looking for today, or this might end up being a very awkward visit.

Walking through the doors she spotted Aikawa and Hirako working together to move the couch towards the front entrance. Yadōmaru was not far behind them, a pair of brooms in one arm and a small collection of bandanas in the other. Something about that surprised her somehow. She supposed even Visoreds had to clean every once in a while.

For a moment she just stared at them a little dumbly. Then Yadōmaru caught sight of her, giving her a simple nod in greeting.

"Do you… need help?" Rukia asked curiously.

"We should be fine."

"O…" Rukia watched as the two men unceremoniously dropped the couch outside, a small cloud of dust kicking up. "Okay… Do you know where Mr. Muguruma is?"

Aikawa let out a small chuckle. _"Mr. Muguruma!"_ he whispered. Hirako rolled his eyes.

"I think he's out back," the woman said, thumb pointed towards the back door.

"Thank you," Rukia said. She tried (and failed) to not let her embarrassment show. _What was wrong with being polite?_

She walked to the dusty backlot seeing just the man she was looking for along with a few others.

Ushōda sat at the cement porch, a cup of morning tea in his hand raised towards her in greeting, along with a gentle smile. He seemed to just be enjoying the morning. The other two there were taking a much more _active_ approach.

"Sixty-One! Sixty-Two! Sixty-Three!" Kuna yelled determinedly from on top of Muguruma. Rukia almost did a double take.

The green haired girl was sitting, cross-legged, on the other Visored's back as he steadily did pushups. An intense look was in his eyes, and she really didn't want to disturb him.

Kuna caught Rukia's eyes immediately, interrupting her counting with a glimmer in her eye. "Rukia, you're here! Are you going to train with us?"

"That's the plan," she said firmly.

Muguruma stopped, raised fully. "What number?" he asked. Kuna's face fell.

"Oh shoot! I lost count!"

With a scoff the man sat up, knocking the girl off. She yelped.

He turned to Rukia, flicking the sweat off his forehead with a gloved hand. "Lose the body," he said suddenly. "We can spar back here."

Rukia blinked for a moment, taking a second to fully process what he'd said. "Uh… yes!" she stuttered out.

(And here she was expecting to have to explain herself, or at the very least _ask_.)

She patted her pockets, pulling out her Soul Candy dispenser and quickly popping one into her mouth. In less than a second she was in her Shinigami form.

"Reporting for duty, Ma'am!" the Gikon said cheerfully. "What would you like for me to do?"

 _Still creepy,_ Rukia thought. "Just stay out of the fight."

With a salute, the Gikon marched over to the side by the wall, sitting by Ushōda when he invited her with a pat. Kuna joined them with a grin.

"This is going to be good!" she cried excitedly. Rukia had decidedly mixed feelings.

Across from her Muguruma was already holding his Zanpakuto, a wakizashi. He turned it once, flipping it expertly in his hands. Rukia drew her own sword.

"We're going to take this nice an' slow," he drawled.

Before Rukia could even adjust her stance, he attacked, coming in close and wielding his Zanpakuto in a reverse grip, treating it more like a knife than a sword. He swiped at her, solidly, aggressively. Rukia had no choice but to dodge away once, twice, three times.

When he went in for a stab, she jumped away, swinging up her sealed sword and forcing him back.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" she rushed out. The burst of cold that went up her arms was supremely satisfying.

"Blow it away, Tachikaze," he said with a crooked grin, and suddenly his wakizashi morphed into a combat knife, the very same one she'd seen him holding back when they'd first met. He flipped it once more in his hand and came at her again.

He stabbed at her, forcing her to the side before slashing down. He flipped his grip, slashing at her head. She ducked under quickly, feeling a sharp gust of wind go over her.

Looking back at Ushōda and the others behind her, the word "sharp" may have been an understatement. A hand calmly raised, the large man had erected a barrier around the spectating group. She could see a deep gash in the unprotected wall to the sides of them.

 _What happened to taking it slow?_

He slashed again. Rukia rolled to the ground to avoid it. "Are you gonna get your mask out or what?" He moved right in front of her, slashing down, giving her no choice but to try and deflect it.

She was getting to the mask part, really…

With a mighty slash of her own, she released a burst of cold, forcing the larger man back several meters. Rukia brought a hand to her side, and with a deep breath and a moment of concentration she was holding the Hollow's bone white mask.

(It surprised her, almost. The mask came so easily this time around.)

With a motion of his hand, Muguruma pulled his own down onto his face. After a few seconds of hesitation Rukia put on her own. The sensation was immediate and startling.

Wearing her mask for the first time, willingly, felt surreal. She could hear the distorted sounds of her own breath, could see everything around her with intense clarity, could feel the layer of power being wrapped around her. It was overwhelming.

It didn't stop her from attacking Muguruma immediately. She swiped at him, an arc of frost rushing towards the man. He dodged so quickly for a moment he seemed to disappear. He reappeared right beside her, stabbing down at her neck. With a little boost of speed Rukia flickered away, and a sort of chase began.

She went left, right, left, _left,_ _duck!_ It left her breathless, not with exhaustion but with the exhilaration of it all. The man was relentless, and through the holes in his mask Rukia could see a glimmer in his glowing eyes. She found herself grinning along with him as she followed with her own strikes.

She felt this desire, this burning, to go faster, push further, and for once she found she could do that with ease. Was this what it was like to be a Visored? "Exhilarating" was selling the experience short. It was euphoria. It was a power beyond what she'd ever dreamed of. It was–!

Rukia's momentum sent her stumbling, nearly falling flat on her face as her next strike met no resistance. She was no longer staring at the mask of her opponent. Instead she was looking out into the endless horizon of her inner world.

"What the… What happened?" she gasped out.

A distorted voice giggled back. Rukia turned, and with clenched fists met the eyes of the Hollow.

 _"_ _How exciting!"_ she cheered. _"Why don't you fight more guys like that, huh?"_

Rukia's eyes hardened. "What did you do?"

The Hollow crossed her arms, looking away. _"I just took the reins for a bit. That's all. Wasn't that what we talked about?"_

"No, wasn't! When did I ever say that?!"

 _"_ _I was just having a little fun."_ Her voice took on a dangerous growl.

"Stop!" Rukia demanded.

The Hollow froze, stiffening in place. Then her eyes narrowed with anger. She approached Rukia, getting so close that she could see the foggy puffs of her breath. She stood almost a head taller than Rukia, something that Rukia had never really noticed about Sode before. Rukia struggled to hold her ground.

In a low voice, she said, _"Make me."_

Rukia jutted out her chin defiantly. In a single fluid motion, she summoned her Shikai and swung it in the path of the Hollow.

The Hollow dodged back, feet sliding against the icy ground, her own identical weapon in her outstretched hand.

Rukia was on her immediately, jumping up and swinging down from above. Her blade went through thin air, slicing through solid ice. In the next moment the Hollow was behind her, aiming for the kill. The girl dodged left and slashed out towards the Hollow, rolling with it when she went short.

"Next Dance, White Ripple!" she yelled out. It was near point blank. She had her!

The Hollow disappeared the second she called it, and in the next moment Rukia felt a cool body at her back, the Hollow pressed against her. She felt more than saw the creature draw up her blade for a stab, and she ducked down just in time. She stabbed back without even looking, feeling the blade meet resistance. The Hollow let out a hiss, jumping away.

Rukia took that time to scramble up, vaguely noting the lack of blood on her blade. Across from her she could hear the Hollow letting out a soft repetitive noise.

At first, it seemed she was panting from exertion. Then, Rukia thought, _no goddamn way, was she sobbing?_

Then, it struck her. She was _giggling_.

With a growl Rukia charged, Next Dance at the ready. She met the Hollow, swinging out and only managing to catch her sleeve. The Hollow arched her blade downwards, Rukia backing up just in the nick of time. The Hollow didn't stop giggling, either. If anything, she'd just gotten louder.

That was it, wasn't it? That was the answer all along. This whole thing, taking over Rukia's body, tormenting Sode, it was all just _fun_ to the hollow. Something about that sent a jolt of rage through the girl. It was just enough for her to push forward, using all the speed she had, enough power flowing through her to freeze a rushing river.

The giggles stopped. The Hollow disappeared again only to reappear right up close to Rukia. One of her hands was trapping Rukia's own against her Zanpakuto's hilt. The other was holding her sword and barreling towards her face, pommel first.

Rukia heard the impact, as well as the sound of her body hitting the ice before she really felt it. She let out a low groan, and suddenly, the pain hit her.

With a curious tilt of her head the Hollow dropped Rukia's captured sword, satisfaction in her eyes as she watched it crumble to slush.

 _"_ _Well,"_ she whined, _"I guess all good things must come to an end."_

She punctuated her words with a harsh kick to Rukia's ribs, sending the girl gasping.

 _"_ _Don't worry, though!"_ she added cheerfully. _"I'll make sure to let you out sometimes…"_ she landed a kick to her stomach, the force knocking the air out of Rukia and sending her sprawling on her face. _"If you ask nicely."_

The stomps came down hard on Rukia's back, the edges of the wooden geta biting hard into her flesh as she held back cries. Her hands were kept underneath her. She curled in on herself as much as possible, and all the while the Hollow's maddened giggling bubbled up from her throat, swallowed by the icy abyss.

She kept going until she was panting with the effort, and Rukia had gone completely silent.

 _"_ _You know…"_ she said between breaths, _"I wasn't expecting much from you… but this was just disappointing."_

The monster crouched down in front of Rukia, a deceptively gentle hand brushing through her hair. In the next moment those fingers were digging in and dragging her upward.

 _"_ _Still, I guess I should give you some credit. You put up a fi–!"_

The Hollow's words cut off abruptly into a choked gurgle. With wide eyes she looked down and saw a half formed Zanpakuto sticking out of her belly. Rukia was holding it with a white knuckled grip and blazing eyes.

 _"_ _Y-you… bitch…"_ she gasped out. The Hollow fell.

Panting heavily, Rukia stumbled onto her feet. She could feel her muscles protesting, the blows quickly turning into bruises. She looked down at the fallen Hollow, and for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to be angry.

"I'd… ask why… but I already know…" she rasped out.

The Hollow let out a garbled chuckle.

Rukia started again, sounding firmer, but swaying dangerously. "You come out when I say. You do as I say. Got it?"

The bottom of the Hollow's mask began crumbling away revealing a bloody grin.

 _"_ _Whatever you say… Master."_

The word sent a shiver down Rukia's spine for reasons she couldn't explain.

The Hollow's head fell back limply, the Spirit staring into the air. The mask crumbled away piece by piece, and when the last piece fell…

When Rukia opened her eyes, she was back on the dusty lot. A glowing barrier was erected around her, and through it she could see exactly what the Hollow had wrought. There were large cracks in the wall, swathes of frost covering it. Large patches of ice littered the ground, and a few meters away crouched Muguruma, a fierce and dangerous look in his eyes.

Only half of his mask remained, and beside him one arm hung useless and frozen solid. Not too far from him was Ushōda, an arm outstretched with a spell on his lips. Beside him was Kuna, standing protectively in front of the Gikon, tense as a bowstring, her mask on with bits of frost smattering the edges.

Rukia let out a shaky breath, and suddenly her mask was crumbling away. Like magic, everyone relaxed, an audible and unanimous sigh coming from the other Visoreds. The barrier disappeared and Muguruma collapsed back onto his ass.

"I'm definitely making Hiyori do this next time," he muttered. Ushōda was by the man's side in an instant speaking a very different spell. A warm glow covered Muguruma's arm.

"What did I do?" Rukia asked quietly.

Kuna came to her, mask gone, an exasperated smile on her face. "Nothing the rest of us haven't done," she assured. It didn't make her feel much better.

In the meantime, Ushōda worked at drawing Rukia's Reiryoku out of Muguruma's arm with a careful frown. There were cuts littering the man everywhere, little (and not so little) gashes just starting to bleed sluggishly. With a second spell, those cuts began to close up, though Rukia still felt a pang of guilt in her chest.

"You should have seen what this one did back in the day," Ushōda said kindly, patting Muguruma on the back. "Love still flinches when a gust of wind hits the walls _just right_."

Muguruma let out an unintelligible grumble, jerking his arm away the second Ushōda's spell died down. He tucked away his knife and flexed his arm, little red scars being the only traces left of his wounds.

"Good as new," he waved off. "Go bother the newbie, now. I'm pretty sure she did something to her arm."

Ushōda rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh as he watched Muguruma walk away. With a hand he beckoned Rukia over, sitting her down in front of him. His hands were impossibly large, but they handled her arm delicately, moving gently and slowly. In some ways it was the polar opposite of Orihime's tiny but firm grip, but in that moment Rukia could hardly tell the difference.

His hands were warm, comforting, and Rukia found herself relaxing into his grip before she even realized it. With little trouble he rolled up her sleeve, spotting the nasty tear along it, as well as traces of quickly melting frost. He muttered a single spell under his breath and enveloped the wound.

"Your ice doesn't affect you the same way it does others," he thought aloud.

"It barely even feels cold to me."

He let out a quiet chuckle. "Kidō type Zanpakuto never fail to amaze me."

"Kidō type? I though Kidō were just those spells Shinigami use."

"Well, yes, they are spells," he answered patiently, "but so are those amazing attacks some Zanpakuto can perform, in a sense. You'd be surprised how much the two have in common, actually."

With those words the glow at his hands ceased, and Rukia's arm was released. Still, she remained.

"Do you think…" she started, worrying her lip. "Do you think that if I practiced Kidō I might be able to get a better handle on Sode and… my Hollow?"

He broke out into a grin. "Certainly, my dear! To learn Kidō is to learn discipline, control! I'm sure it would help."

"Would you teach me?" she rushed out.

He answered warmly, "I would love nothing more." At that, he stood up, helping Rukia to her feet with an extended hand.

Part II

Sitting on a freshly beaten rug, Rukia jogged her leg, paper in hand. Her eyes scanned over the words again and again.

 _Bind mine enemies. Set upon them the power of the earth. Let them tremble against thine will… Bakudō Number One, Sai_

It was a simple spell, one that most Shinigami managed to do without an incantation. Ushōda was quite insistent that she memorize it, though. If she can manage that, they'd get started first thing tomorrow.

Right now, though, she'd read it so many times the words were starting to blur together. She was sure that she'd gotten it down, but…

She'd better quiz herself when she got home. She'd seen Kidō at its most powerful. She didn't want to make a mistake, here. Tucking it away, she paused briefly when her fingers met the slightly cool surface of her phone.

Her fingers jerked away at a sudden sound. Behind her she heard Muguruma snoring loudly, collapsed against the couch. With a frown she reached back in, pulling out the phone.

Flipping the device open, she took a good look at it for the very first time. It looked like a newer model, but she couldn't quite tell which one. There was a background that she could program however she liked, an address book, speed dial settings, it was all pretty neat stuff. It was kind of surprising coming from Byakuya.

To be honest, Rukia had thought she'd have to find a way to buy herself a phone. The summer before high school she was looking into part time job options, maybe even something that she and Renji could do together. All of that went out the window when a certain Shinigami blew into their lives.

She wondered how that Shinigami was doing now.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts Rukia clicked a few buttons on her phone changing the background to a simple sunny sky. She flipped it shut.

"Hey! Hey!" an excited voice called.

Rukia looked up only to be startled by Kuna standing right over her. The Visored was out of that odd Super Sentai style onesie that Rukia had seen her in since they'd first met. Instead, she was in a pair of gym shorts the same bright shade of green as her hair and a white tank top, orange bandana still present around her neck. It suited her.

Tucking away her phone, Rukia asked, "Do you need something?"

"Mm-hm!" she sounded with a happy nod. "It's my turn to do the shopping and I was hoping you'd come with. It'll be super fun, I promise!"

Standing on slightly numb legs, Rukia brushed off her skirt. "O-okay, but what are we shopping for?"

"I have a list!" Kuna answered, riffling through her pockets. She dug out a crumpled piece of paper, writing on it barely legible. "It's mostly takeout and manga." Rukia wasn't surprised anymore.

"Lead the way," she said with a shaky grin.

With a giggle and a nod, the girl led Rukia outside. She scanned the area, glanced down once more at her list, and without much warning jumped on top of the surrounding fence, balancing carefully. Rukia stared up at her, eyes wide.

"What are you standing there for, silly? Let's go!"

"Um…" Rukia jogged up to her. "I don't think I can do that like _this_." She gestured to herself, or more specifically, her human body.

The girl tutted, shaking her head. "You've just never tried. Come on, we're burning daylight!" At that she jumped onto the very top of a light post, head swiveling to get a better look at the area. After a long moment she let out a happy cry pointing to the left. "It's this way!"

She jumped down onto the sidewalk, and sending one more look to Rukia, ran ahead before taking a sharp left. Letting out an exasperated sigh, the Substitute ran to follow.

She just had to add a little Reiryoku to her feet. (She even knew the exact amount!) If she could summon power to form her mask like this, she could summon power to go just a little faster, she was sure. So, eyes screwed shut, she tried.

Her breath was just about knocked out of her when she was suddenly launched forward, nearly colliding with the light post. She scrambled on her feet and made a sharp left turn, almost running headfirst into a brick wall.

On the opposite wall Kuna was crouched on a narrow window ledge, looking down at Rukia with a pleased grin. She turned away and ran once again. Rukia had no choice but to follow. (Luckily no more near misses would happen… for now.)

Kuna wasn't going terribly fast, but she was moving with a certain limberness that Rukia had only ever seen from Yoruichi. It quickly became obvious that she was holding back for Rukia's sake, here.

That being said, she sure liked showing off. Running through back streets and alleyways, Rukia became her captive audience, watching as the girl kicked off walls, did every manner of flip, and hung off the tiniest possible ledges from her fingertips alone. Rukia didn't mind either. Watching her was fun, probably because Kuna herself seemed to be having fun.

(Normally people having _fun_ with their powers meant nothing good. Images of Captain Zaraki appeared in her mind, as well as a certain… _someone._ Kuna seemed different somehow, though, in a way that she couldn't quite articulate.)

 _(It was the lack of bloodthirsty trigger-happiness, that should have been obvious.)_

The two reached the end of the back streets and found themselves in a small cluster of restaurants and shops just a little too small to be considered a real shopping center. After a moment of pause Kuna backed away from the exit jumping first onto a nearby trash can and then up onto the opposite rooftop. "Come on!" she called down. She disappeared over the edge of the wall.

Rukia took a deep breath. She mentally went through everything she saw the girl did, deeming it all simple enough. She took a few steps backwards and jumped.

Her feet hit the trashcan. She launched towards the wall, got ready to land, and felt her stomach drop when her foot missed the ledge by about half a meter, passing through thin air.

Kuna grabbed her arm before she managed to fall very far, pulling her up. With wide eyes and a cold sweat Rukia scrambled onto the roof for dear life.

"Woah, there," Kuna said with a wince. "You're… not very good at this, huh?"

"Thanks," Rukia gasped out. She tried to make it sound sarcastic, but it didn't quite work. She seriously needed a moment to catch her breath!

"Well, I guess that's why we call you newbie."

"Hm?" Rukia hummed. Her heart rate was starting to go back to normal.

"You're new, _therefore_ you can still get better!" Then, in a flurry, she grasped Rukia's hands, a wide grin on her face. "You should practice with me!"

Rukia blinked, frozen for a moment. The grip on her hands was iron clad. "Uh… are you sure, Kuna?"

" _Mashiro!_ " the girl responded with a pout. "You don't need to be so formal. Just call me Mashiro."

Rukia gulped, a blush crawling up her face. "Okay… _Mashiro_. Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure!" she answered immediately. "It'll be fun! I haven't had someone to practice with in… almost a hundred years!"

Letting out a small chuckle, Rukia nodded in agreement. Then, something about Masahiro's words struck her, and in that moment quite a few things came together. Suddenly, she had a pensive frown on her face.

"You…" She found herself hesitating. "You Visoreds, you were Shinigami once, weren't you?"

Mashiro's smile didn't quite fall, but something in it certainly cracked.

"We were," she admitted. "I was even a Lieutenant, but things change, you know. We became this… and they decided they didn't want us anymore. Good riddance, am I right?" The words were said with a smile, but the bitterness was unmistakable.

"Let me guess," Rukia said with a sigh. "It had something to do with Aizen."

Mashiro laughed. "Who else?"

Something about that had Rukia's heart sinking. "So, because of him, you've just been here for the last hundred years?"

"Basically," Mashiro said with a shrug. "Until a few months ago we were just wandering around Japan, kicking butt and taking names. Then, Kukaku and Urahara found us, convinced us to stay here for a bit. Why or how, I'm not sure, though. You'd have to ask Shinji. I trust him with that kind of stuff more than myself."

Rukia took in a deep breath, letting it out through her nose. She could feel anger welling through her. The more she learned about that bastard Aizen, the more she hated him. Shaking her head, she steeled herself.

"We'll stop Aizen," she said firmly. "Just you wait."

"Heck yeah!" Mashiro pumped her fist in the air. "But first… groceries!"

"First, groceries," Rukia agreed.

The two jumped down to the streets, Mashiro wasting little time in directing them to their first destination, the bookstore. They picked up a number of colorfully illustrated books, some of which Rukia recognized and most of which she didn't.

After that they hit two difference convenience stores, one bakery, a soba stall, and even a high-end tea shop. By the end of it all the two were carrying at full capacity, Rukia having two bags in each arm. (She was pretty certain Mashiro had three per arm.)

They didn't run back the same way they came, going for a more conventional route this time. (Rukia was almost disappointed.) Mashiro was quick to assure her that Hakuda training would happen soon, though. It doesn't take them too long to reach the hideout.

The first thing Mashiro did was kick open the door. Rukia heard Aikawa let out a happy "whoop!" Hirako on the other hand mumbled something that sounded just a bit distressed about door handle replacements.

Mashiro set down all her bags onto the carpet, Rukia following her example, before sifting through them, reaching first for the books.

"Okay!" Mashiro called. "We got one volume of _Loveholic_ for Lisa."

She tossed it over, Yadōmaru catching it expertly, wasting no time inspecting it with a glimmer in her eye.

" _Zatch Bell_ for Love."

Aikawa snatched it from Mashiro's hands before she even finished saying his name, a grin on his face.

" _Fullmetal Panic_ for Kensei."

Muguruma caught this one with a grumble, flipping through some pages with a critical eye.

"And finally… _Chobits_ for Shinji."

He grabbed it even faster than Aikawa, a subtle blush on his face as he tucked it away. Beside him Sarugaki let out a cackle.

"And as for the food, everybody, dig in!"

Dig in they did. The food was descended upon quickly and without mercy, everyone grabbing and tearing open their respective boxes. All the while, Rukia stood to the side awkwardly, only jolted out of it when Mashiro nudged her in the side with a box of yakisoba noodles.

"Come on," she said with a grin, "you, too."

"Thanks." Rukia took it, admiring the smell, and wondering when Mashiro had even bought it.

Aikawa landed heavily on the couch, a sausage bun in each hand, one large bite taken out of the one on the left. "Take a load off, newbie!" he commanded. "You can't enjoy lunch standing like that."

Shuffling her feet for a moment, Rukia moved to sit down before she really had the time to think about it. She sat right next to Aikawa, Rose taking the seat to her right after that. Behind her was Mashiro, balanced precariously on the back of the couch.

The rest were scattered around, Yadōmaru and Muguruma sitting on the carpet and eating sedately. Ushōda wasn't far off, sitting on a stool and enjoying a plate of cold soba with a serene look on his face. Somewhere in the back she could hear Hirako and Sarugaki getting into a one-sided argument over their food.

She took the first bite of her noodles. They tasted as good as they smelled.

"There you go," Aikawa said through a mouthful of bread. He swallowed heavily. "Is it just me, or is this the first time I've seen you relax, newbie?"

Rukia gulped down the bite she'd just taken. "I'm supposed to be training," she offered quietly.

"Well, yeah, I get that, but you do realize that working nonstop like this is just going to fry your brain, right? I mean, maybe that's how they do it in the Seireitei, but that's not how we do it." He cleared his throat dramatically, catching the attention of all who cared to listen. "I propose," he started firmly, "that tomorrow the newbie does not train and instead goofs off with the rest of us."

"I second that motion!" Mashiro said dramatically. This was ruined slightly by the hamburger still in her mouth. Muguruma just shrugged, not even bothering to stop eating.

"Perhaps she could read some manga with us," Rose suggested. "We did just get a new batch."

" _Hunter X Hunter_ ," Aikawa said simply. For a moment Rukia was lost.

Rose shrugged, a frown on his face. "I think she'd be more of a _Cardcaptor Sakura_ person."

" _Ranma ½_ ," Yadōmaru tried.

They all looked at Rukia expectantly. She gulped down another bite of yakisoba.

"I'll look into them," she finally said. (She was _pretty sure_ those were manga.) This answer seemed to satisfy them.

The food was finished in (relative) peace after that, empty trays and bags piled high in a corner. Rukia took that time to try and think of what she could work on next.

Maybe she could try practicing with her mask again or simply talk with her Zanpakuto. Then again, Ushōda or Mashiro might be up for giving her more tips.

It was then that a shadow came over her. Muguruma looked down at her, eyes unreadable.

"Go home," he said.

Rukia paled. He looked kind of angry, didn't he? (Then again, he always looked angry…) When she didn't answer, or respond at all, really, he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Your Hollow took over, today," he said sternly. "You're not up for any more training, kid."

"…Oh!" Rukia blinked up at him, probably looking like a deer in headlights. "Th…thank you! I will," she finally answered.

He nodded once before leaving her. _What an odd man_ , she thought. Then again, all the Visoreds were pretty odd.

She didn't stay long after that. She put away her tray, patted her pockets to make sure everything she came with was still there, and then waved goodbye to the few Visoreds that still lingered after the meal.

"We're practicing on Monday," Mashiro assured, "so, be ready."

Rukia was honestly looking forward to it.

She left quietly, but about halfway home, she decided to take a detour. Thinking it over briefly, she stepped into a small bookstore, heading to a section that she didn't normally frequent.

The manga section was surprisingly intimidating. It wasn't the largest she'd seen (not even today) but looking at it now, she realized she didn't even know where to start. She tried to remember the titles that the others had mentioned.

She saw a volume of _Hunter X Hunter_ , an absolutely huge edition of _Ranma ½,_ but in the end her eyes settled on _Cardcaptor Sakura_. She'd actually heard of that one before, having caught an episode of the show by accident about a year ago. It wasn't bad, but she never got the chance to search for it after the fact.

Grabbing volume one, Rukia gave it a once over. The cover was cute and frilly, the main character looking at her with a cheerful smile, rose petals flying around her. It looked nice, honestly. Not thinking any more of it, Rukia brought it to the front counter, handing over the one thousand yen note needed to buy it.

Exaggeratedly girly book in hand, Rukia had a little spring in her step as she walked the rest of the way home. She wondered vaguely what a Visored "lazy day" might look like.

She also realized that Aikawa had a point. She needed a break, probably had for a while.

Rukia reached her front door, stepping inside and setting her book onto the nearest table. She thought about what leftovers she might heat up tonight and wondered what tomorrow would bring.

Part III

"…"

 _"The silent treatment… really?"_

"I have nothing to say to you."

 _"That's a first."_

"Why did you do that?!"

 _"And here we go. Don't you and Master share a brain or something? You should know that already."_

"Believe it or not, we don't. Now, tell me."

 _"…"_

"I want to hear you say it."

 _"I don't have to take this."_

"Answer me."

 _"You won. She won. The Inner World is yours… for now."_

"Why do you have to do that, antagonize every chance you get?"

 _"Goodbye."_

"We could have worked together. We could have made something amazing!"

 _"…"_

"…"

 _"…"_

"…Fine. Have it your way."

* * *

 **I've achieved a weeabo's dream. I'm going to Japan for two weeks. (Does happy dance!) Side effect is, I won't be updating for a while. The next chapter won't be here until NOVEMBER 9. Hopefully this longer chapter will be enough to sate you all for now, though.**

 **For now, feel free to leave a review. I treasure them with all my heart, for they give me life. (See you in a few weeks!)**


	38. XXXVIII

**Well, I'm back! I've finished my pilgrimage, am currently suffering jetlag, and felt super inspired to continue this story. I'm publishing this from a different computer than usual, so if anything is off, please just tell me. I haven't gotten quite used to this one yet.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Part I

Rukia felt… nervous

She was standing in front of the wide doors of the hideout, manga clutched tightly in her hands, and for some reason she felt nervous. It was weird, really. She hadn't felt like this when coming on other days, not even when she was coming for a fight, but now, coming in to simply relax had her pausing, feet shuffling in place as she tried to just…

 _Open the goddamn door!_

The door swung open without prompting, forcing Rukia to take a giant step back.

"There you are!" Mashiro said with a grin. "The others were starting to wonder." She was notably out of her usual onesie, instead wearing her more casual exercise wear.

"I thought today was a lazy day in," Rukia wondered aloud.

"It is," the Visored agreed cheerfully. "I normally jog at six, and it's almost eleven. I'll be back soon, though. Volume three of _Fruits Basket_ is calling to me!"

The human cracked a smile. "Have fun, I guess."

" _Rukia_. I'm training my body and mind to work at _maximum efficiency_. Of course, I'll have fun."

Offering a wave and a grin, the green haired girl sped off, and without really noticing it, Rukia felt a good several degrees more at ease.

Confidence growing, Rukia fully stepped in the door. The very first thing she heard was the sound of a heavy guitar riff, a male singer that she didn't recognize accompanying it. _On second thought, haven't I heard this on the radio before…?_

"Eyy, you're here," Aikawa said from his lounging position on the couch. Beside him Rose acknowledged her with a simple nod, Hirako shot her a grin from his spot on the floor, and Sarugaki, leaned against the bookshelf and flipping through a copy of _Dragon Ball_ didn't acknowledge her at all.

"Sorry I'm late," Rukia said quickly, plopping down on the rug. "I ended up sleeping in." It wasn't intentional, either, something that was pretty rare for her. She made up for it by doing some Hakuda training on the way. (She didn't fall down even once!)

"It's fine. Shinji was sleeping until about five minutes ago, so you're alright," Rose said casually, or at least he tried to, smile hidden poorly behind his book. Rukia could hear Sarugaki's muffled chuckles.

"Ha, ha, ha," Hirako sounded sarcastically. "Just read your fuckin' book."

Everyone laughed at this, Aikawa reaching down to nudge him playfully on the shoulder. Rukia chose to hide her hint of a smile behind her book, using that moment as an excuse to finally crack it open.

Her eyes scanned across the art of the first page, the chuckles died down, and within seconds Rukia found herself sinking easily into a wholly unfamiliar atmosphere.

As it turned out, there was something incredibly satisfying about sitting on a ratty carpet, flipping through manga, and listening to a rock album. Otherwise, it was near silent, though, no one so much as saying a word. (Occasionally Aikawa made a sound or two in reaction to whatever was on the page, Rose jabbing him in the side for it almost every time.)

Outside the sun was shining, but here she was in the cool and shaded shelter of the warehouse, comfortable and at ease. It was during this peace that Rukia allowed herself to get lost in the first volume of _Cardcaptor Sakura._

The story was pretty simple. A young girl gets tasked with finding escaped magical cards that caused chaos around the city. Hijinks almost always ensued.

It was lighthearted, cute, and honestly Rukia liked it a lot. She wondered if she could scrounge up enough money to buy the other volumes sometime soon…

Then, Sarugaki raised her head, hastily putting the book in her hands on the shelf behind her. A focused expression went on her face as she gazed at the wall. Shinji reacted soon after, cursing under his breath as he slammed his copy of _Chobits_ on the ground.

"You're kidding me," Aikawa grumbled. Rose simply clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Rukia was the last one to catch on. Well, maybe "catch on" wasn't the right way to put it, not when "it" hit her with the subtlety of a metal baseball bat.

There were Hollows, powerful ones, not too far away. The fact that this was the same time Paku and Renji tended to patrol only made her feel that much worse.

Before she even realized it she was already grabbing for her Soul Candy dispenser. She was out of her body, a frightened looking Gikon holding her manga and trembling in place behind her. In the meantime, the Visoreds talked amongst themselves.

"…isn't normal, Shinji," she heard Sarugaki say in a low voice.

"I know, I can sense it, too," he grumbled. "We need to be cautious. Hiyori, you're with me. The rest of you are on standby. We might need backup, here."

"I'm coming, too!" Rukia interjected.

For a moment Hirako just stared at her, considering. He finally asked, "You can use your mask right?"

"Yes," she said confidently. Internally she felt much less sure.

"Good, you'll need it."

Part II

"Too easy!" Paku declared. Her body extended into a languid stretch as the quickly disintegrating remains beneath her feet disappeared. Dang, she was getting pretty good at this.

Nervously, Keigo peaked around a large half-destroyed tree. "Got it?"

Paku nodded, a wide grin on her face. "Now, gimme, gimme!" she urged, sprinting towards him. He tried to meet her halfway, but only made it about one tenth before she descended upon him.

He held out their treats, the popsicles (blueberry for her, strawberry for him) that he'd left to get just as that ginormous Hollow first appeared. She reached out for one, taking his hand for the journey as she brought the popsicle up to her face taking a giant bite out of it.

His face turned about as red as his popsicle in the span of a second. Paku noticed, of course, and burst out laughing, hand still tight on his own.

"C'mon," she said, tugging his hand towards her, "let's find somewhere to sit that isn't covered in splinters."

They didn't bother going very far before just sitting down under the first shady tree they found. Paku chose then to finally take her popsicle, taking a grateful second bite.

"Mmmmmm!" she squealed, hand to her face. "It's sho good!"

"You do realize these are just convenience store popsicles, right?" Keigo asked with a crooked smile. "They costed like a hundred yen."

"So?" Paku questioned with a pout. "You humans take way to much for granted…"

She positioned herself protectively over her treat, cheeks puffed out, and lips turned pink from the cold. This had Keigo's heart pounding for reasons he had trouble articulating beyond the simple:

 _She's just too damn cute!_

An impulse went through his head, then, one that he didn't give himself time to consider. His mind went a little blank. He took one bite of his popsicle for courage, and he leaned over, kissing her right on the cheek.

"Cold!" she yelped. She brought a hand over it so quickly Keigo almost flinched at the sound. Then, slowly but steadily a blush crawled up her neck. _Nailed it,_ he thought smugly.

She shoved against him, pout turned angry, though there was little malice in it. She didn't draw away after, though. Instead she settled against him, head against his shoulder as she averted her eyes.

He felt so goddamn happy he wanted to scream. That'd probably be a total mood killer, though, so he didn't. Instead he just settled carefully against the tree, a huge dumb smile on his face.

A sound tore through the air, the resulting _BOOM!_ like the impact of a meteor. The trees shook, Paku's hair whipped around wildly, and within a second the Mod Soul was on her feet, a bewildered look on her face.

"What the hell was that?!" he yelled.

"Hollows," she hissed out, and then after a moment added, "…I think."

"You… think."

"I've never felt one like that before!" she snapped.

Her hands were trembling, he realized. Her eyes were darting towards the impact and then away to the comparatively safe streets in the distance. He'd seen her fight a lot of Hollows in the last couple of weeks. He'd never seen her react to one like that.

" _If you see a powerful Hollow… run,"_ Rukia had said. The words rang through his head right then, and for a moment he considered grabbing Paku's hand and dragging her right to the street.

She faced the impact sight, taking a step forward. "Let's go," she said shakily. Despite everything she had determination in her eyes.

He looked back at the street and then back at her.

"Okay," he said.

The ran for the impact site, unable to see much through the brush and trees. _Whatever_ it was they were looking. For, it had crashed to the ground _hard_ , and almost foolishly, Keigo found himself looking up to the sky, as if that would provide any answers.

As it turned out, it did because in the sky he saw a slowly closing crack, the other side leading to an indiscernible abyss. He just about fell over his feet, and well, could you blame him. This was some eldritch shit, right here.

(Oh sue him. He liked a bit of American Literature. That book was maybe the one he'd read in school that didn't make him fall asleep, and that was because after reading it he was so scared he _couldn't_.)

(No, he was not stalling!)

It took him a moment to even realize they'd reached the scene, not because it wasn't absolutely obvious, but because for a moment his mind didn't _want_ to realize it.

(It turned out he wouldn't be sleeping tonight, either.)

The two arrived to what used to be a picnic area in the middle of the park. "Used to" because all Keigo could see of it now was a five meter wide crater, nearby park goers collapsed around it either groaning and unconscious or aware and deeply confused. A few closer to the center of it weren't moving at all.

In the middle of the crater were two men, though "men" might not have been the right word for it. They didn't look like any people that Keigo had seen, after all.

There was a large one with tan skin, ridges in his head, and a terrifying grin. Beside him stood one of a much more normal build, the other "man's" polar opposite in just about every way. He was slender and pale with a sullen expression, his piercing green eyes scanning the area.

Both were in white, both had a piece of what Keigo recognized as a Hollow's mask attached to them, and both had holes right through their chests. Yeah, they definitely weren't "men."

"Are you shitting me?" the large one groaned. "How the hell are we going to find one pathetic human in this fuckin' place."

"There are only three humans of notable strength in this sector of the World of the Living. The rest are utter trash," the other said. "It shouldn't be difficult."

His eyes swept across the field in an instant, stopping solidly on Keigo and Paku. That alone had Keigo breaking out into a cold sweat.

Were his legs shaking? He was pretty sure his legs were shaking.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" the large one asked with a grin. He took a step forward, and then another, and for some odd reason Keigo's vision started swimming.

The other one scoffed. "Trash," he spat out. "A few steps in his direction and his Spirit's on the verge of collapse."

Collapse, huh? He… he kind of believed him.

Keigo could hear his own harsh panting, could feel himself tremble as this _monster_ approached. He couldn't move. He could hardly goddamn breathe, and by the time the Hollow got within reach black spots started dancing around in his vision. His legs buckled, though he barely felt his knees hit the ground, barely saw the fist coming down on him.

He did see Paku's terrified eyes twisting and warping into something else entirely. He _definitely_ saw her block that fist's path with one powerful leg.

"Don't touch him!" She kicked away the arm, sending the Hollow back with a growl and a frown, and suddenly Keigo could draw in a shaky breath. His vision steadied slightly, enough to see clearly her leg turning a nasty red as she placed it gingerly behind her. _It probably wasn't supposed to bend like that, right?_

"Ulquiorra!" the large one growled out. "Is she it?"

"Yammy, if you'd ever bothered to improve your observational skills, you'd realize that this one wasn't even human. It is trash, too."

Yammy's grin came back in an instant.

"Keigo," Paku urged, "I need you to run, okay? Go find–!"

The Hollow was on them in an instant, his giant meaty fists in the air. They had slammed down on Paku before she even had time to react, the force flinging her across the field and into a tree so hard that it _broke._

"PAKU!"

Keigo was running at her, never mind how he still couldn't feel his legs. He stumbled and all but refused to fall. His sight blurred as he skidded to a stop right in front of her.

(That might have just been tears, though.)

He took in her labored breathing as well as the blood seeping through her white blouse. He wanted to pick her up and run. He was too afraid to even touch her. The Hollow was right behind him and he knew it.

He lowered his head.

"Dance! Sode no Shirayuki!"

The Hollow screamed in pain.

Part III

Rukia's chest heaved, breaths coming out harshly but steadily as she pointed her Zanpakuto at her enemy. She had run in without even looking, but taking a gander at him now didn't clear up any of her questions or confusions.

He had the Reiatsu of a Hollow, even the hole of a Hollow, but she'd certainly never seen a Hollow quite like this one. Caution was key, in this case. Mentally she reached for her Bankai.

Eyes catching on a still frozen Keigo, she stopped herself just in time. She didn't want her own lack of control to make that earlier turn of phrase painfully literal.

"Next Dance!" she shouted instead. She swung her sword, saw the moment that the Hollow's eyes widened in surprise, his free hand tensed in pain over the one that Rukia had managed to freeze solid. With an angered growl he dodged back, finally out of reach from her injured friends. She jumped forward, landing into a solid stance in front of the two

"Run," she growled. "Get Paku somewhere safe."

He didn't say anything, maybe couldn't judging by how white his face had gone. He nodded shakily, gathering the Mod Soul in his arms before darting for the trees.

From the corner of her eye she could see Sarugaki, a dangerous look on the girl's masked face as she pinned the slender looking Hollow with a sword to his neck. She wasn't sure where Hirako had gone, and—

 _Shit! Where'd the other one g—_

In the next moment she was on the ground. She didn't even feel herself fall, and _fuck_ she should have been paying more attention…

Her ears were ringing. Her shoulder hurt like _hell_ and something wet just slid down the side of her face that she didn't want to think about.

Through her spinning vision she could finally see Hirako, grappling with the giant Hollow, slashing at him with such intense speed that her vertigo only got worse in her attempt to follow them.

"Stay still!" the Hollow yelled. He brought his fist down on where Hirako was just a split second before, the ground underneath buckling. Judging by his surroundings he'd been at this for a good while.

Hirako blurred forward, and in the next moment a frozen arm was lying on the ground as a Hollow screamed in pain. It took Rukia a second to even realize what had happened.

"Y-you little shit!"

"I'm surprised you're still standing," Hirako said, humor clear in his voice.

It was probably time for Rukia to get standing, too, wasn't it?

Rukia raised herself on her palms, a hand going for her still activated Shikai. The moment her vision steadied, another hand going up to brush away the blood that had gotten in her eyes (she could already hear Madarame chastising her) she whispered out her command.

"Third Dance."

The effect wasn't huge. Her sword simply extended a centimeter or two, but it would give her just the boost she needed to make her next move count.

With a thought she pulled down her mask, and like magic her vision steadied. She ran into the fight, greeted by Hirako's look of pure glee.

The two danced around the Hollow, dodging blows and watching as he grew more and more frustrated. He had just about the foulest mouth that Rukia had ever seen but didn't seem terribly creative about it. He just flung curses alongside punches, rocks, and kicks.

It wasn't too long before those curses had left him turning into unintelligible snarls. Now _this_ was the type of Hollow she was used to.

Just as she thought that the corner of her mask cracked, a sharp pain stabbing through her head. Great, she was out of time already. She'd better finish this, and quick…

 _There!_ Right there, she could see, as clear as day, he left his stomach open. Eyes sharp she dove in, readying a killing blow. She glanced up just in time to see the Hollow's mouth open, energy gathering inside for a clear Cero.

Rukia was jerked back by her collar, Hirako throwing her behind him just as he released his own similar attack. The two met in a blaze as hot and bright as the sun. The sound was indescribable. She didn't even realize her mask had left her until after the fact.

The air settled, the heat died down, and heart pounding Rukia opened her eyes, looking up at Hirako.

She saw a piece of his mask fall away, disintegrating before it had the chance to hit the ground. It was then that she finally noticed the ground around them, as cracked, caved-in, and burned as the crater that now marred the center of the park.

She gulped heavily, suddenly very glad that she had someone like Hirako there with her. The Hollow wasn't so pleased.

"What the hell?!"

"Deflecting a Cero with a Cero," Hirako said with a shrug. That movement was all it took for his mask to fall away entirely revealing a smug toothy grin. "Not the cleanest solution, but hey, if it works…" He brought his sword up beside him, grin widening. "Now, I think it's about time we finish this, eh, Hollow. _Collapse! Sakana—_ "

Hirako choked on his words, suddenly grappling with the Hollow's previously inactive ally. Eyes widening he jumped back, dragging Rukia with him by the front of her robe.

The pale Hollow stood in front of his ally, eyes cold and sword drawn.

"Ul…quiorra?" the large Hollow gasped out. The next moment had him gasping in pain, his ally's fist buried in his stomach. Hirako stilled, brow furrowed.

"You idiot," Ulquiora scoffed. "This man is Shinji Hirako. He's far above your skill level. At this rate we're going to lose…"

He extended a hand behind him, and suddenly the air parted revealing a portal, misty and dark.

"…Unless we escape, that is."

Hirako barked out a laugh. "Really? You're just going to run?"

Ulquiorra's face remained impassive. "Take this as a kindness. You have wounded allies to see too, after all. Besides, we've accomplished our mission."

He stepped back into the portal dragging his moaning partner with him, the Hollow's frozen arm slung over his back. Fading into the darkness, his green eyes nearly glowed, and with a shiver Rukia realized they were looking right at her.

The door closed with barely a sound.

"AGH!" Sarugaki cried. She slashed through the portal just a moment too late, stumbling as her sword went through air. The remains of her mask fell away then, revealing a nasty gash along her temple, blood running down to her chin as well as a look chock full of rage.

She spun around, sword pointed at Hirako.

"Why the hell did you let them get away?!"

He sent the girl a pointed look, allowing his Zanpakutoto disappear before bending down to Rukia. With one hand he brought her to her feet and with the other he steadied her when it looked like she was going to fall right back down.

"Because, Hiyori," he started steadily, "that Arrancar had a point, and despite what he said, I'm not confident I could have beaten him."

The last statement had Rukia's mind stuttering (though that might have been her concussion and _oh geez she's going to throw up isn't she?_ )

Sarugaki scoffed, her own sword disappearing, a hand coming up to wipe away the blood on her face. All she managed to do was smear it further into her light blonde hair, though.

Hirako let out a shaky sigh. "We've gotta take you two to Hachigen."

"But… Paku… Keigo…" That was all Rukia managed to get out before having to slam her mouth shut.

"…Huh?" Hirako questioned.

"She's talking about that human and his Mod Soul girlfriend," Sarugaki said with an eye roll. Barely suppressing a stumble she leaned back against a tree, eyes on the ground.

"Oh, yeah," he said, scratching his neck. "That girl wasn't looking too hot, was she?"

"They'd be headed to Tessai's if they were smart, and that boy didn't look like he had too many brain cells on him," she muttered.

"I have to go to them," Rukia said, stronger this time. "I'm not even sure if Keigo knows who that is and… Paku _needs_ help."

"That plan of yours involve getting yourself looked at any time soon?" Hirako huffed out.

Rukia looked up at him, somehow glaring even with her unfocused gaze. After a moment or so Hirako broke away, exasperated.

"Fine! I'm sending Mashiro after you, though."

That was all the approval that Rukia needed. With a nod she ran ahead, hoping that she was headed where Keigo and Paku were (hoping that her memories weren't as scrambled as… everything else right now). Almost immediately she heard something that had her paling.

"… _oh god, oh god, oh god…"_

With a sharp inhale she ran to the voice.

"Please wake up… Why aren't you waking up?!" Keigo's voice cracked at the end, and in that moment she realized she never wanted to hear him like that again.

The moment Rukia reached them, Keigo stiffened, arms tightening around Paku and visibly ready to bolt. In the meantime there lied Paku, stiller than Rukia had ever seen her.

"Keigo," Rukia said calmly. She hoped she wasn't slurring her words here. "Do you know where the Shiba Shop is?"

"Rukia!" he cried. His mouth seemed to finally catch up with his brain, there. "I…" he stuttered for a moment before nodding furiously.

"We need to take her there," Rukia half mumbled. "They can fix her… understand?"

He nodded again.

"Lead the…" She trailed off, eyes squeezing shut as the earth tilted. Adrenaline gone and effects of the mask faded away, Rukia felt like she'd just been hit by a train.

Keigo must have understood, though, because barely a moment later he was picking Paku up and running to the edge of the park. Rukia chased after trying to keep her stumbling to a minimum.

A mere few minutes later and they were there. It was so fast Rukia wondered if she'd blacked out somehow mid way through. Still, it was a relief to see that dusty front lot. Seeing Ganju sweeping the porch, his eyes widening as his broom fell out of his hands almost had her crying.

Then, she was falling.

Part IV

Keigo's hands were shaking. Rukia was unconscious on a cot against the wall. His girlfriend/partner-in-crime had just been carried off by some large man he'd never seen before. _There was blood on his shirt and oh god it was hers oh god oh god oh god—_

He squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to breathe.

The sound of the door creaking open was what snapped him out of it, and with bleary eyes Keigo looked up to see the _other_ weirdly large man that seemed to live here, the one that caught Rukia right when she passed out.

That man looked at Keigo carefully, seeming to be sizing him up.

"So…" he started suddenly, voice deep and gravely. "You're the one, huh?"

"The…" Keigo's voice croaked, "…what?" The man sat down next to him a hand tearing the bandana off his head to sweep up the sweat that had built up on his neck and chest.

"The one Paku won't stop talking about," he said plainly. "You know, she even wants to go to school for you, right?"

"…R-really?" Something in his heart warmed at that. Just as quickly it clenched. The man visibly grimaced at the reaction.

"C'mon," he sighed out, "Don't be like that… She's a Mod Soul, remember. Worse comes to worst we'll have to get her a new body and you'll be carrying her around as a stuffed animal for a day or two."

Keigo sniffled. "…Is that true?"

The man averted his eyes so quickly that Keigo found tears welling up in his eyes all over again.

"Okay! Okay!" the man rushed out. "It's not that simple, but she'll be alright! Tessai's one of the best, so you really don't need to worry."

Keigo's shoulders slumped, a few tears escaping. He'd never felt this drained in his entire life…

The man frowned, scratching the back of his neck.

"You should go home," he said sadly. "Get some rest. She'll be back on her feet soon."

Keigo shook his head resolutely, sniffing so loudly it was as if he was trying to suck all the tears and snot back in his face by sheer force of will. "I'm staying," he said. "I'm not leaving this spot until she's awake."

"…Suit yourself, kid."

The man went silent after that, gaze settling on Rukia while Keigo chose to just look at the ground.

He almost died today. That fact was finally starting to sink into his thick skull. Paku had gotten even closer.

What's even worse? He couldn't do anything. He couldn't fight, he couldn't run, he could barely even move. He was completely useless against that… that _thing_.

Were those really the monsters that his classmates went up against every day?

Keigo wasn't a fighter, he knew that. He didn't even want to be one, not after that. What he wanted…

 _What I want…_

He wanted to not be so scared.

He wanted to stay out of crazy super-human fights.

He wanted Paku to be alright.

…

A second quiet creak startled Keigo awake. He sprung up from the wall, a quick hand wiping away the drool on his chin. He glanced around, saw that Rukia's cot was empty, looked up to see—

It was a one-armed woman, one that if Keigo weren't a _taken man_ he might have dogged after pretty much immediately. He had to remind himself that she more likely than not settled into that _crazy super-human_ category that he really didn't want much to do with anymore.

She looked down at him, face a mixture of exhaustion and amusement. He _tried_ to meet her gaze unflinchingly.

"Paku's finally out of the woods," she said.

Keigo nearly slumped over in relief. The man next to him gasped out, "Thank the _gods._ " The woman let out a humorless chuckle.

"She might not be on her feet for a while, but it looks like our work's going to pay off. She should be awake pretty soon."

One of his wishes would be granted today, it seemed.

* * *

 **Arrancar arrive! I can't even tell you how excited I was to have this as my first update after the break. I, like everyone in this fandom, LOVE the Arrancar. I have a lot of plans for them, and the fact that I can finally kick those plans into motion makes me unreasonably happy.**

 **(It's not like I'm fishing for Arrancar centered comments or anything… It's not like your comments give me life or anything… b-b-baka! UWU)**

 **((kill me))**


	39. XXXIX

**YS GOH I accidentally marked your review as spam and just for that I'm dedicating this chapter to you. I hope you enjoy it and I hope it's the setup that you craved. (Everyone else also enjoy please.)**

* * *

Part I

Walking into the classroom, Rukia kept her eyes firmly on the ground, not that it mattered.

Everyone could see her, and without even raising her head she could tell everyone was looking. She struggled to remind herself that fixating on these sort of things would get her nowhere.

Rukia knew she looked stare-worthy and in general _bad_ because, well, she looked at herself in the mirror this morning. Her arm was in a sling. An entire side of her face was a bruise, and as a little cherry on top she had big old plaster on her forehead protecting a jagged gash. Was it the worst she'd ever looked after a fight? _No_ , not by a long short, but this was the first time she'd had to go to _school_ right after.

Shrugging her bag off her shoulder she sank into her seat shrinking into herself as she kept her eyes pasted firmly on the black board in front of her.

These efforts were quickly foiled by a foot kicking roughly at a leg of her chair, the sound of someone clearing their throat coming loudly and quickly after. Already dreading this conversation Rukia turned to Renji.

" _What the hell?_ " he stage-whispered.

She groaned out, "It's really n–" She cut herself off, considering. It wasn't "nothing," not really. Agents of Aizen invading the World of the Living was the exact opposite of "nothing." She mentally pivoted. "There was a _situation_ yesterday," she said carefully, mindful of how pretty much the entire class was listening in. "My _club_ helped me take care of it. I'll tell you more later."

"Lemme guess," Renji said with a frown, "that 'situation' has a little something to do with Keigo not even being here."

The whispers increased a notch or two. Rukia closed her eyes against the noise, refusing to answer. Letting out a quiet curse Renji leaned back in his seat.

Allowing herself a silent sigh Rukia resisted the urge to just let her head fall against the desk. Really, the only thing stopping her was the fact that it wouldn't gel well with her recently healed concussion. She instead tapped her foot, eyes going to the classroom clock.

It was one minute before class started and a few good hours before she needed to have her thoughts collected enough to explain everything to Renji.

(It struck her that in order to explain something, someone had to understand it at least a little. She had her work cut out for her, here.)

It was with that thought that five huge presences tore through the air. Rukia's head snapped up in alarm. Ishida paused in his note taking.

Then she heard voices through the hall, voices that she recognized. She relaxed, but only slightly.

" _Where was it again?"_

" _I'm not sure..."_

" _Weren't you supposed to have the class number in your instructions?"_

" _Ah, I lost it!"_

" _You lost it?!"_

" _It's fine, everyone! We can just find the room based off their Reiatsu. Easy peasy!"_

" _Ha! Maybe for you. Gods, I hate this body. I still can't get a handle on my Reiryoku, and this uniform! The shirt's so goddamn tight!"_

" _Then just untuck it, idiot."_

" _Don't call me an idiot! And if I do that I won't be able to tuck my wooden bokken into my belt!"_

" _...The bokken that you aren't supposed to have..."_

" _Why you–!"_

The footsteps stopped abruptly right in front of the door, the one that people both inside and outside of the class had taken to staring at.

" _Quiet all of you!"_ a young sounding voice yelled. _"We aren't supposed to draw attention to ourselves."_ The door was roughly shoved open.

In the hall stood a group of Shinigami, and suddenly Rukia felt a deep appreciation for how well Ichigo was able to blend into his role as a high schooler.

In the front stood Captain Hitsugaya looking far too young to be in high school. He was followed by Ayasegawa, Madarame, and a woman that Rukia didn't quite recognize, all of which looked far too old to be in high school.

(The smile that Madarame gave Rukia upon spotting her sent a shiver down her spine. "Rematch" it said. She'd need to avoid him in the near future.)

The only one that looked somewhat normal was Orihime who gave Rukia a friendly wave from her position in the rear. Rukia waved back idly wondering how long it would be before they were caught.

"What are you guys doing here?!" Renji yelled. The murmur that went over the class was loud enough that it sent Rukia curling into her seat in embarrassment.

Two seconds. They lasted two seconds.

"W-we're just normal transfer students," Orihime tried with the sweetest smile she could muster. Then, quieter (as if literally everyone couldn't hear her) she added, "It's nice to see you, Renji."

The chatter increased so much that Rukia barely even heard the morning bell.

"Alright everyone!" the teacher boomed. "I know these new students are very exciting, but you'll all have to settle down. Class is starting."

Her interjection barely made a difference, though at the very least everyone finally sat down. The woman didn't wait for the room to silence before taking out her new roll sheet. She adjusted her glasses.

"Okay," she said, clearing her throat, "joining us today will be… T̄ōshiro Hitsugaya. I'm to understand that you skipped a few grades?"

He stepped forward, cheeks tinged pink as he nodded silently, taking his seat.

She continued, "Then we have Ikkaku Madarame… Uh… You do know you can't have that bokken in class, right?"

"C'mon!" he burst out. "You people won't let me keep a real sword, and now you wanna take this away, too?!"

The teacher blinked for a moment of so, completely stunned. Rukia didn't blame her. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to put it away before next period."

He grumbled, taking his seat and not offering any confirmation or denial.

"Next is Yumichika Ayasegawa."

Ayasegawa stepped to the front, bowed, and with a charming smile took his seat. Rukia was almost floored by how _normal_ it was. The teacher didn't miss a beat.

"Orihime Inoue," she said.

It took a moment for the girl to even realize she'd been called. She let out a quiet squeak scrambling up to the front.

"It's nice to meet you all!" the Shinigami said with a smile. "I hope we have a wonderful year."

It sounded a little canned to Rukia, almost rehearsed, but it was no less enthusiastic. It helped distract from the love struck looks many of the boys immediately had on their faces. (Chizuru looked like she was going to have a stroke.)

The teacher took it in stride, simply sending a look at the offending students. "Rangiku Matsumoto," she continued.

This was the one Shinigami here that Rukia had never met. It struck Rukia that the woman must have had some decent power to be included amongst this group. What rank she was, though, Rukia couldn't guess.

The woman herself was striking to say the least. She was about as pretty as your average movie actress, and carried herself with a confidence told everyone she knew that. She walked up to the front of the class tossing a lock of curly orange hair over her shoulder, further revealing the cleavage exposed by her partially unbuttoned uniform top.

"Glad to be here," she said pleasantly.

The response from the guys in the class was immediate and visible. The teacher rolled her eyes, and Matsumoto took her seat.

"And finally..." the teacher trailed off, brows wrinkling in confusion. She looked around the room, a deep frown on her face.

It was then that Rukia heard the sound of someone running through the hall, shoes squeaking against the flooring. They skidded to a stop right outside of the door, and with a sudden burst it was slammed open.

In the doorway stood Ichigo, hands on his knees and gasping out, "Sorry, I'm late!"

The teacher clicked her tongue, marking a check next to his name. "Just don't let it happen again. It's good to have you back, Shiba."

He straightened up, sending Rukia a wide grin. "It's good to be back."

The chattering didn't go away for nearly the entire first half of the day despite teachers' many _many_ attempts. Their poor Japanese teacher could barely wait for class to be over. He seemed to just about collapse when lunch came around.

Thinking time was over. It was time to talk.

It didn't take much to gather all the Shinigami, just a jerk of her head towards the door and Ichigo was quietly but quickly gathering the others. He was the only one that was trying to be quiet, though.

"Just put away the bokken, you can get it again after classes," Ayasegawa hissed out.

"It's about my pride as a warrior, Yumichika!" Madarame argued. "I don't care what some teacher says, I'm keeping it!"

With a frown, Hitsugaya tried, "If it's necessary for the mission, I'll have to ask you as your Cap–"

"Does dealing with human law enforcement do anything for your pride?" Yumichika asked flatly. Hitsugaya seemed too shocked to remember to be angry at the interruption.

"Let 'em try!" Madarame growled.

On the side, Matsumoto nudged Orihime. "Hey, where are we headed?" she asked.

"Oh! I bet we're going to the back of the school by the tree. Ichigo said they'd always go there to talk over things!" the girl explained with a excited look in her eye. Glancing over her shoulder she asked, "Uryuu, you're coming too, right?"

The Quincy glanced up from his notes. "It's alright," he said. "I'm sure you can catch me up later."

Orihime let out a hum walking over to him and grabbing him by the wrist. "Don't be silly," she said, dragging him up. "You need to hear this, too."

Momentarily his eyes widened as he quickly realized her grip was much stronger than first anticipated. (Rukia knew first hand.) In a mad scramble he grabbed his lunch and whatever pages of his notes that he could reach before he was manhandled to the door. Rukia followed, Renji at her side. He shook his head, an exasperated look on his face like he already knew this was going to be bad.

They did in fact meet in the back of the school, Renji glaring off any people that tried to not so sneakily follow them there. The trip took way longer than it should have, but eventually they managed to sit down in peace.

"…So," Rukia started awkwardly. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We were stationed here by the Gotei Thirteen," Hitsugaya said professionally.

"Yeah, no shit," Renji scoffed. This earned him a glare from the small Captain.

Ichigo rushed to smooth things over. "What Tōshiro means is–"

" _Captain Hitsugaya_ ," the boy hissed.

Ichigo let out a groan.

"Here we go again," Ayasegawa chirped.

"Tōshiro–"

" _Captain Hitsugaya!_ "

"Come on!" Ichigo yelled. "I've known you since you were my sisters' age! Cut me some slack!"

"I'm the leader of this mission. You should show me some respect!"

"The Captain Commander wanted us here to deal with the Arrancar," Orihime said pleasantly over their arguing, even as it escalated. "We're very sorry, by the way. We would have been here sooner had we known they would attack so soon."

Rukia gulped heavily. "'Arrancar.' So, that's what they're called."

"Oh my," Matsumoto said. "You really have been in the dark, haven't you?"

"Only 'cuz you guys haven't been telling us anything," Renji said, annoyance clear in his voice. Ishida leveled a look at him.

"We know that Aizen has been sending Hollows here, but we aren't sure why," the Quincy said. "We're barely even sure of what an 'Arrancar' is."

"Hollow-Shinigami hybrids," Rukia answered. This triggered a brief look of shock in Renji. Ishida's frown soured further. "I wasn't sure until now, but one of them from yesterday had a Zanpakuto. Aizen made them, right?"

"We have reason to believe Aizen has some natural Arrancar amongst his ranks," Ayasegawa corrected, "but you're basically correct."

"However," Hitsugaya grunted out, exerted from the merciless headlock he had Ichigo in, the orange-head silently choking, "We're much less worried about that than we are the types of Hollows he has in his ranks. Captain Urahara estimates that much of Aizen's upper ranks are made of Adujchas and Vasto Lorde level Hollows.

"And… that's bad," Renji said carefully.

"That's _very bad_ ," Ishida stressed.

Matsumoto let out a tired sigh. "If that bastard has more than ten Vasto Lorde we can kiss victory goodbye."

"Our numbers are already depleted," Orihime said sadly. In the next moment, though, her eyes gained a hard look, her lips set into a firm line. "That's why we have to act fast! We're going to put a stop to C-Aizen before he even knows what hit him."

Tearing Hitsugaya's arms from his throat Ichigo let out a loud cough. "Eventually, anyway," the croaked out. "Right now, we're just here to stop him as comes. Tatsuki's the one working on those 'preventative measures.' It's actually why she's not here with us."

"And she wanted to be so badly," Orihime said with a sigh. "I feel bad for her…"

"All things permitting, my Lieutenant should be joining us soon," Hitsugaya said. "For now, we should focus on setting up a proper base of operations as well as finding lodging for the night."

"Can't we do that after lunch?" Madarame asked. He was leaned against the tree, bokken on his shoulder and a checked out look in his eye. "I thought it was supposed to be lunch hour or something."

Orihime let out a happy squeal reaching for a large cooler bag behind her. "I was so excited about the mission this morning! I made sure to pack lunches for everyone."

A look of fear went over almost all the Shinigami, Orihime seemingly oblivious as she began unpacking the meals.

"I would have made the food myself, but…" the Shinigami immediately let out a sigh of relief, "there just wasn't enough time."

"That's too bad," Matsumoto said genuinely, odd one out. "A few of your special rice balls would have been the perfect pick-me-up."

Orihime beamed. "Then I guess I'll just have to find more time later." The oppressive atmosphere returned.

(Rukia made a mental note to avoid any food that Orihime or Matsumoto might make in the future.)

With lunches coming out, the group relaxed, and Rukia found herself relaxing along with them. Something about seeing Ichigo's fond smirk, Orihime's bright smile, seeing Ishida actually with them for once, it all made her feel better. As weird as this little group was, they helped make things feel normal again.

Part II

 _Last Night_

Ulquiorra stepped towards the light drawing close to Aizen's throne. His companion had enough sense to stifle his whimpers as they went into practiced deep bows.

"We've returned, Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra said evenly.

"Welcome back," Aizen answered with a smile. In it was something akin to mirth, perhaps even pleasure. Then again, Ulquiorra could never be sure when it came to him. "Please, share your findings with us."

Murmurs broke out in the throne room, certain Hollows being much _louder_ than others. Ulquiorra ignored them all.

He reached up to his face digging his fingers into his left eye, the very one Aizen had implanted, seemingly on a whim a week ago. He plucked it out, presenting it to the audience.

"As you wish," he said right before he crushed it in his palm.

The dust spread throughout the room and with it what he saw mere hours ago was disseminated throughout the crowd.

"…I see," Aizen said, relaxing back into his throne. "How… enlightening."

"I understand your orders were to kill the Substitute excepting certain circumstances. I believe I have followed those orders. However, to my eyes the girl was nothing special," Ulquiorra reported.

"Pathetic," someone scoffed. It was just the person Ulquiorra did not want to hear. Biting back a sigh he glanced down at Grimmjow Jagerjaquez and his… cohorts. "If it were me, I would have killed them all in one attack."

Ulquiorra sincerely doubted that.

"If your order is to 'kill her,'" Grimmjow continued, "then maybe you should try to do your fucking job and kill her." He said this all with a grin, one clearly meant to intimidate.

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow in response. He was pretty sure Grimmjow had never followed orders in his life.

"I agree," Shawlong said next to Grimmjow. "She's an enemy. What value could there possibly be to let her live?"

Ulquiorra glanced up at Aizen only to see the man smiling down at them, not saying so much as a word. He shouldn't have been surprised.

"And look at Yammy!" Grimmjow added. "With how beaten up he is I bet it wasn't that you were 'following orders.' You probably couldn't even kill the kid if you tried."

This had Yammy tensing in anger. "Hey, Grimmjow," he ground out. "You saw the recording, didn't you? I got beaten up by blondie, not the girl. If we wanted her dead, she'd be dead."

"You stupid or something?" Grimmjow challenged. "I said I would kill them _all_ in one attack."

"What?!" Ulquiorra had to hold Yammy back, grabbing him by his bloodied sleeve. The larger Hollow panted in place, rage in his eyes.

"Enough," Ulquiorra finally said. "Grimmjow, my orders were to kill her if her rate of growth was not adequate for Aizen's plans. It was. I let her live."

"That's my problem!" Grimmjow yelled. "If you really think she's going to be a threat or something, kill her now!"

"If she becomes a threat, I will kill her then."

Grimmjow said nothing at this. He just stared Ulquiorra down looking like he wanted to do something but not having the courage to do it. Typical.

Aizen cleared his throat, recapturing the attention of the room.

"Putting aside what your brothers may say, I'm impressed with your work, Ulquiorra." The compliment was ripe with condescension and mirth.

"I am very grateful, Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra said with a bow.

He could feel Grimmjow glaring at his back.

Part III

Rukia wasn't sure how she got stuck walking home with the _one_ Shinigami she didn't know.

(Oh yeah, it had gone a little something like this.)

" _Hey, Rukia!" Matsumoto exclaimed. "I should stay with you!"_

 _Paku, finally standing on her own power again let out a sound somewhere between a scoff and a chuckle. "I wouldn't recommend it. Her house sucks ass. The only good thing about it is her cute older brother."_

 _Matsumoto let out a loud scandalized gasp. "You have a cute older brother?!"_

 _Rukia froze right in the middle of testing her freshly healed shoulder. "What?" She'd never thought of him like that. (Why the hell would she want to?!) "Well, I guess we have room, but… Hey! You can't just invite yourself to somebody's house!"_

" _Pleaaaaase Rukia!" Matsumoto whined. "The shop's already going to be so crowded." She almost collapsed on the smaller girl, puppy dog eyes in full force. Rukia had literally no idea what to do._

" _She's got a point," Paku said with a shrug. "In between Ichigo, Orihime, the tiny Captain, Tessai, Kukaku, and Ganju this place has more people in it than it has rooms."_

" _I notice you didn't include yourself in that list," Rukia said flatly._

" _That's because I'm staying with Keigo tonight," she said with a shit eating grin. "His parents and his sister are out this week."_

 _Rukia stared at her with narrowed eyes while simultaneously trying to banish the gross mental images conjured by Keigo and Paku alone in a house._

" _Then it's a deal!" Matsumoto said resolutely._

 _Rukia let out a sigh of exasperation. She really didn't have a choice in this matter, did she?_

"What am I even going to tell him?" she asked herself aloud.

"Hm?" Matsumoto sounded. "Tell who?"

"My brother," Rukia said, then with a pause corrected, using the same spiel that she gave most people she had to explain this to, "Well, he's not really my brother. On paper he's technically my adoptive dad, but I've always called him brother, I guess."

"Weird family situation, huh?" Matsumoto said with a crooked smile. It was maybe one of the chiller responses that Rukia had gotten, one that seemed to come from a place of understanding.

Rukia relaxed a bit. "Tell me about it."

Matsumoto grinned. "Trust me, you don't want me to."

Rukia's eyes shifted away, a bit uncomfortable. "So, uh, what's taken you here? I kind of understand the others well enough to know why they're here, but… If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"No, it's fine," Matsumoto waved off. "I've got a couple reasons, really. Main one's because I overheard Ikkaku talking about this mission at the bar. I thought it might be a decent chance to get away from Captain Shiba. The guy's a handful sometimes, you know?"

Rukia had met the guy, so yes she knew.

"Then, I guess there's…" Matsumoto trailed off for a moment before shaking herself out of her daze. "I've got some personal business with Aizen's lackey, Gin. 'Weird family situation stuff,' you know?"

That didn't really sound like a secondary reason to Rukia, but she nodded along anyway.

"Enough about all that, though," Matsumoto said casually. "I wanna talk more about that brother–"

She might have continued into that incredibly awkward topic had a huge wave of pressure not washed over them right then.

"Again?!" Rukia yelled.

"Oh great," Matsumoto groaned. "We're dealing with these guys already?"

Tearing through her bag Rukia reached for her Soul Candy quickly popping one into her mouth.

"Hey," Matsumoto warned, "you were just injured. You need to take it easy."

"I'm healed," Rukia said confidently. All that was left from her last fight was a small pink scar at her temple. "Besides, I need to check on Ishida and Renji. They're still out there."

Matsumoto let out a groan, something unintelligible about "hero types" before finally saying, "Okay, but be quick about it."

Rukia nodded, barely sticking around long enough to see Matsumoto change into her own Shinigami form revealing a Lieutenant's badge on her arm. She ran just as the woman stopped a heavy looking Arrancar with a bowl cut and half mask in his tracks.

She moved quickly, attempting to channel both Mashiro and Yoruichi to mixed effect. She actually knew where Renji lived, so with a quick decision she headed there.

Barely at the halfway point a form appeared in her way, moving to cut her off when she tried to dodge left. She skidded to a stop, feet planted firmly on the nearest rooftop. In less than a second he attacked, forcing Sode no Shirayuki out to block.

Their blades met, the man leaning over her with satisfaction in his eyes.

He spoke in a low voice, "I am the Undecimo Arrancar, Shawlong Koufang… and I know who you are, Rukia Orikasa."

Rukia moved back to the edge of the roof, in a defensive position. The Arrancar knowing her name shouldn't have thrown her off, but still… She shook herself trying to readjust her focus.

She was up against a rather tall and lanky man, one that likely had a lot of reach. That title of his probably meant something, maybe a rank of some sort, she wasn't quite sure.

 _Arrancar. Unknown Power. What do I do?_

Whatever. She needed to finish this quickly. Raising a hand she prepared to summon her mask.

"Don't waste your time with him," a voice said from behind.

Rukia turned, and what she saw just about blew her away.

It was Ichigo, in uniform, his Lieutenant's badge proudly displayed. His Zanpakuto was unsealed, now resembling a Khyber blade larger than Rukia.

"You wanna find Renji and Uryuu, right?" he asked. Rukia nodded once, eyes still on the enemy. "Then go. I'll take care of this clown."

She looked up at Ichigo, at the confidence in his eyes and then back at Shawlong and the apprehension in his.

"I'll meet you as soon as I can," he assured.

That was enough for Rukia. She ran off from the two going faster than ever. She just had to trust Ichigo could handle this, that everyone could, because even with her unrefined senses Rukia could tell there were plenty more Arrancar down in Karakura Town today.

Unbeknownst to her one of them was watching her at that very moment, grinning from the shadows.

* * *

 **I felt a little cruel putting this chapter here, mostly because next chapter is an interlude so fights won't be happening for at least another two weeks. I imagine this next interlude will be a ton of fun, though. It's the rare "not a flashback" interlude and has some spicy plot stuff that should make it well worth a read.**

 **(And lore checkers. I love you so [because sometimes you know more than me], but I'm checking myself here. I know that Ulquiorra's eye is just an ability he has in the manga. This is a conscious change.)**

 **(Want to fight me about it anyway? Send me a review. They give me life.)**


	40. XL: Interlude 8

**I had a ton of fun writing this one. I got to use two characters that I don't get to use too often, got to explore a side of the story that I've wanted to for a really long time, and get to have something to justify my decision to make Urahara a Captain instead of the villain. Enjoy a long chapter from me to you.**

* * *

It was a few hours into the morning. The sun was shining. The walkways of the Soul Society were busy, and Tatsuki was there weaving through it all trying to make it on time to what was probably the most important meeting of her career thus far.

She probably would have been there already had it not been for a certain someone.

"You really aren't coming?" Ichigo asked for maybe the third time. "Things would be loads easier if you were with us."

"I can't and you know it," she said exasperatedly. "Besides, I've seen the mission roster. Your team isn't exactly hurting for power."

"I'm not worried about that," he scoffed. "It's Tōshiro! You're probably the only person aside from my dad that can keep him in line all the time."

She snorted. "Well maybe if you didn't call him _Tōshiro…_ "

He grimaced at the mere thought, a visible shiver going down his spine before facing her again, a deep frown on his face. "Seriously, though, what the heck are they dragging you away for this time?"

"Not sure," she said honestly. "The Captain said he needed someone to help decode all of Aizen's research."

"And that someone is you?"

She tried to elbow him in the side only to have him expertly dodge. " _No_ ," she stressed, "but I am supposed to help find that someone."

"Sounds mysterious," he said with a raised eyebrow. "Maybe even cool."

"Maybe, if I cared," she sighed out. "Ugh! Why can't I just go with you guys?! Fighting Arrancar, Aizen's own generals, that's _way_ cooler!"

Ichigo laughed. "Hey, what happened to all that career talk from earlier?"

"Shut up!"

He laughed harder.

"Don't you have your own mission to go to or something?" she growled out.

"Eh, I'll be fine, you worry about yours." He said this thumb pointed at the nearest building. One look up and Tatsuki realized they'd arrived at the labs.

She frowned. "Just go already. I'm not letting you use me as your excuse for being late."

Ichigo grinned waving over his shoulder as he jogged away. She stuck her tongue out at his back.

For all the evil Aizen did, she had to (at least in private) thank him for bringing this back to her. Then again, if current theories were to be believed, it just may have been his fault for her losing this in the first place.

"Punctual as always, Miss Arisawa."

Tatsuki stiffened on instinct, only relaxing when she realized exactly who had decided to sneak up on her like that. She turned to Captain Urahara, bowing deeply.

"Of course, Captain Urahara," she said properly.

He raised an eyebrow in response, amused, something that caught her just a bit off guard. With a wave of his hand he said, "C'mon, we've got a lot to talk about."

They stepped inside the labs, Tatsuki almost stubbornly sticking to decorum and staying the exact amount of steps behind as would be considered proper for a Lieutenant. It helped that it also allowed her to scrutinize him from behind without being noticed.

Tatsuki knew very little about Captain Urahara, something that was honestly kind of odd, considering.

Captain Shiba thought of the man as a friend. She'd remembered seeing him around plenty of times at the Shiba compound growing up, but somehow he remained a mystery to her. She supposed that had something to do with her own reservations towards adults at that age.

Later, almost overnight the man became known as the Seireitei's resident hermit and that door had closed entirely. Even people in his own Squad barely saw him anymore, especially if they weren't in the Research and Development Division.

Despite being a non-presence in her life and her not thinking of him for several decades outside of the context of Captains' and Lieutenants' meetings, he had thought of her for this job, had named her specifically. That was maybe the biggest mystery of them all.

The two reached his personal lab, the man stepping up to his computer. He clicked a few keys, an icon or so, and in a moment brought up a picture of a rather strange looking man, one that seemed familiar.

"Do you know who Mayuri Kurotsuchi is?" he asked. Her eyes widened just a bit.

"Most ranking officers know who he is, sir. He was the famous exiled Lieutenant."

"Well, yes," he answered with a nod. "Anything else?"

She opened her mouth, closed it, and then finally shook her head. Urahara let out a chuckle.

"You know what the majority of the Soul Society does, then." She frowned, and he quickly added, "That's not a bad thing, necessarily. Most of what happened with him went under the radar. People were worried about other things, you know?"

"…Other things?"

He shrugged. "The Visored Incident. The murder of Kaien Shiba."

 _Oh._

She looked back at the photo, or _mugshot_ , to be more accurate.

"So," she started, "we're supposed to find this man and get him to help us with Aizen's research."

"Them's the orders," he said easily. It was a copout of an answer if she'd ever heard one.

"Okay," she said carefully. "How do we do that? Do you know where he might be?"

Urahara scratched his unshaven chin. "He's… not in the Soul Society." Tatsuki resisted the urge to groan. "I keep pretty good track of who comes and goes, so…"

"Can you please be more specific, sir?" She was starting to get impatient, here.

"I'm pretty sure he's in the World of the Living."

"'Pretty sure?'" she asked flatly.

"I…" he trailed off, leaning back against his desk. "I should probably tell you this much, huh, why the Captain Commander thinks he might be able to help."

Tatsuki paused. What on earth did that have to do with anything?

"You could say he and Aizen shared an area of study," he said with a smile. "They just focused on different 'subjects.' Aizen liked Shinigami and Hollows. Kurotsuchi on the other hand…"

 _Oh, no._

"Humans," she filled in. So, that was the kind of bastard they were looking for? "Still, the World of the Living is a big place. We're going to need more to go off of."

"I think I can get us that," he said with a smirk.

She looked at him waiting for further explanation. She shouldn't have been surprised when she got none. Letting out a sigh she conceded.

"When do we leave?"

"Noon. I'm not sure how long this will take, so be prepared. We're traveling in Gigai the whole time, keep that in mind."

She bowed once more wasting no time in seeing herself out.

Back in her room she rifled through her things trying to remember what kind of packing they suggested for missions like these. She'd only ever been to the World of the Living a handful of times and never for very long.

She supposed if there was a bright side to any of this it was that she'd be closer to her friends than she'd first thought, just not close enough. She tried not to think on how much she'd rather be with the people she'd trusted with her life than this guy whose lies of omission almost got them all killed.

Even now he was hiding things from her, she was sure.

She closed up her bag with a bit more aggression than needed. If this mission went right it could mean a raise, a promotion, best case scenario it could mean Aizen gets taken down. She just had to remember that.

Just before slinging her bag over her shoulder she glanced at the chest shoved in the corner of the room and with some hesitation she shuffled over to it. The thing was filled to the brim with kimono and yukata (that she barely wore. It seemed like all she had use for nowadays was her uniform.)

Should she bring one? Were they even still in fashion back in the World of the Living? She really wished she'd asked Ichigo about this when she'd had the chance.

She opened it, trying to see if there was something worth taking, only to be stopped by the one at the very top of the pile. It was pure black, made of fine silk, and it had actually managed to catch her off guard.

Absently she remembered why it was at the very top. She was expecting to have to wear it again, recently. The last time she'd worn it was… Masaki's funeral.

She remembered that day well, almost as well as she remembered the day of her death.

The skies were grey. Everyone was quiet. The atmosphere was so off it was almost surreal. She was dressed in this kimono then, the funeral having been barely an ago.

The only noise in the whole house came from the twins. They were crying shrilly as some poor maid tried in vain to get them to settle down. The second the maid laid eyes on Tatsuki the girl was sent on a mission to find Isshin in hopes that he'd get them to stop. She doubted he'd be able to do much.

She checked the halls, the kitchen, asked the few staff members that looked like they had time to spare, but found nothing. After some great hesitation she decided to check Isshin and Masaki's shared room.

Or what _was_ their shared room, anyway.

Before that thought managed to take hold, before she started choking on tears all over again, she slid the door open, startling to a stop once she got a glimpse inside.

Isshin was there, but Tatsuki found herself unable to say anything. He was kneeling on the ground clutching one of Masaki's kimono and crying in a way that she'd never seen before, in a way that genuinely unsettled her. He was bawling openly and messily like some little kid, sobs only muffled by the arms wrapped around him.

Holding him was Urahara, a solemn expression on his face as Isshin soaked his shoulder in tears. Urahara's head turned, his eyes met Tatsuki's and she closed the door, running away as fast as she could. She told the maid she didn't find Isshin.

She closed the chest, deciding that she probably didn't need anything from it.

She also considered, just for a moment, that Urahara might be worth giving a chance.

…

They arrive through the archway of a temple in a place that Urahara calls "Shibuya." Supposedly they aren't far from Karakura Town, but it's doubtful they'll be headed that way any time soon.

Surrounding them are tall trees and a simple shrine, but just beyond the main entrance Tatsuki can see what looks like a bustling human city. It's surprisingly intimidating. So many of its buildings reach to the sky. What must be dozens of "cars" are zooming about. That's not even mentioning the sheer amount of people.

"Exciting, isn't it?" Urahara asked from the side. With a grin on his face he adjusted his bucket hat and began stepping forward. After another moment of being frozen she followed

"It's… different," she admitted, taking a few passing glances at some pedestrians. No, it didn't seem like kimono were in fashion anymore. This simple pair of shorts and her rather colorful top worked much better.

Gods, she felt so uncomfortable.

"Something wrong?" he asked looking back at her.

She frowned. "Sir… I know next to nothing about the World of the Living. I know even less about the target. Was I really the best choice for this mission?"

Urahara grinned back at her. "You're one of the best trackers in the Soul Society, Miss Arisawa. Don't worry about it."

She froze again, watching him start across the street. By the time it struck her to follow him her face had gone beet red.

He lead her through the city taking a leisurely pace and humming a nameless tune, not saying much else. He seemed laid back, almost suspiciously so. She kinda wanted to say something about it but was pretty sure it wasn't her place to do so.

It took some time but eventually they stopped at what looked like a human library. Her brief relief at seeing something familiar disappeared when she realized that the inside looked literally nothing like the Soul Society's library.

There were children inside, for one. The librarian wasn't some put upon grunt from a nearby Division and was instead a young lady with glasses flipping through a magazine at the front desk. The shelves didn't reach the ceiling, and there were absolutely no dusty scrolls to be found.

She'd never felt so lost.

"Come here," Urahara said in a hushed tone and a jerk of his head. Quietly he lead her to the back of the library towards a trio of what looked like like one of his Division's computers, though they were much smaller.

"We're starting here?" she asked incredulously.

"Yep," he answered. "You can find just about anything on the internet nowadays." Internet, huh? She was sure she'd heard Ichigo talk about it in passing once.

The man sat down at one of the devices opening up a browser and quickly typing in the name of their target.

 _Mayuri Kurotsuchi_

 _This is ridiculous_ , she thought. How could a human computer give them information on a runaway Shinigami?

 _30 Results Found_

Her mouth closed audibly as she squinted at the screen. _Huh…_

"'From Prize Winner to Wanted Man,'" Urahara read aloud. "That sounds familiar. Dated... _1972._ "

Clicking on the result, the man brought up the article. At the very top of it was a blurry image of a group of scientists, the man framed in the middle strikingly familiar. He may have been missing the black and white makeup and even the headdress, but this man was Kurotsuchi, no ifs ands or buts.

"So… this is what you were up to," Urahara muttered.

He scrolled down the page, Tatsuki skimming along.

"… _Mayuri Kurotsuchi… amazing discoveries in the fields of biology and medicine… questionable credentials… human remains found in his home… in addition, possible kidnapping charges… signs of a child found…"_

"Damn, I think the bastard beat me," Urahara whispered. Tatsuki looked at him strangely. "Kurotsuchi used to talk about making a perfect artificial Soul," he explained. "He wanted to try and revive the Mod Soul project, I think. I actually made Jinta and Ururu about twenty years ago just to spite him, but… it looks like he beat me to it."

She continued looking at him strangely, breaking eye contact only to see if a location was mentioned anywhere in the article. Right at the bottom was a picture of the "crime scene," the aforementioned house. Right below was a caption with the name of the town it was in.

"We need to find this," she stated, tapping on the screen.

"I don't think that's too far from here," he said with a smirk. He typed in a few more things, getting them what they needed.

A few minutes later and the two were leaving with a printout of both the picture and a local map of the place. It didn't even take them long to find the house.

Tatsuki looked down at her grainy image of a one-story house with a shiny name plate, a well kept lawn, and a near brand new looking fence.

She looked up from the photo and saw stripped away paint and plaster revealing worn bricks, a missing nameplate, a badly broken fence, taped off windows, and a sign warning against trespassers.

Next to her Urahara whistled appreciatively. "I'm almost surprised it's still here." Then, nudging her he added with a grin, "Hey, if we don't find anything than we can probably just wrap this whole thing up."

Tatsuki stiffened automatically sending a glare at the man. _Did he want to be here or not?_

She was starting to bet no, which didn't bode well for her.

Teeth clenched Tatsuki looked around the area. The streets seemed clear. With that she jumped the fence. One spell later and the lock was blown off the door taking the handle with it. She slipped in ignoring Urahara's encouraging thumbs up. If she thought about it too hard she'd probably respond with something that would get her reported.

Stepping inside, the first thing Tatsuki noticed was the "smell."

It wasn't a literal smell, it wasn't even something that most humans (even some Shinigami) could sense, but to her it was obvious and distinct. The place was saturated with the stench of death, something that she knew from experience could linger in a place for decades, if not centuries.

Tatsuki did what she could to ignore it, squinting through the darkness of the house, looking for something that Urahara might be able to get some use out of. There wasn't much to look at, honestly.

Little was left in the house. There were some bare nails stuck in the walls, some garbage left by squatters, and one broken plastic chair shoved in the corner. It was all painfully disappointing.

Then, an open door caught her eye. Curiosity piquing she opened it, cringing at the sound it made. It looked like a regular old closet save for the open trap door in the middle.

She grinned, descending. The grin dropped when the smell hit her, so much stronger than before.

Her feet hit the ground of what looked like an abandoned lab. Foundations and silhouettes of heavy equipment lined the walls, frayed wires sticking out in various places. Unidentifiable stains littered the ground. Still, there was nothing she could take that hadn't already been taken, no clues to be found. They were probably a good thirty years too late for that.

She turned back, hurrying up the ladder just to get away from the smell, and in the darkness, just through the steps, she saw a torn up doll, hair tangled, face paint faded, and one arm gone.

She lingered for a moment longer before going back to the main floor.

Heading towards the door, Tatsuki begun to realize that Urahara was getting his wish, here, that he would be happy. Then she heard a quiet creak.

Startled, she stepped back, eyes at her feet. She stared down at the worn floorboards, stepped forward, and heard that creak yet again. Tapping her foot down harder she realized what she'd just found.

Tatsuki crouched down, fingernails digging into the wood, pulling as hard as she could.

 _Barely even a wiggle._

Frowning, she stood up, took a step back, and muttered a single spell. the floorboard blew open sending splinters and shrapnel flying all around her.

It was probably overkill, but hey, it got the job done. She'd gotten her hands on the one thing that the human police couldn't have. The wards she just blew through were subtle, but they were there, that was certain.

She knelt down brushing aside splinters and pulling out the one item in the shallow hole, a spiral bound notebook. It was dusty, the pages were warped, and hopefully it would save this mission. She tucked it under her arm and left the house quickly.

She took some satisfaction in seeing Urahara's face fall half a degree when he realized what she had. She shoved it in his direction. He took it, flipping through with a curious expression.

"I expected no less from you, Miss Arisawa," he said, distractedly. Barely even looking he wandered off to the nearest bench, plopping down as he skimmed through the book.

Tatsuki hovered for a moment watching as Urahara's brow furrowed. Pulling a pen from his pocket he began scrawling notes in the margins. She realized this may take a while.

She decided to be the good Lieutenant, standing by his side as he did his work. About ten minutes in she decided that was bullshit and started circling around the block, waiting for him to finish.

At rotation number five he beckoned her over with a wave, a self-satisfied look on his face. For a moment she wondered if this meant they'd hit a dead end.

"It seems like Kurotsuchi was prepared for this," Urahara lead with, "and the old guy was kind enough to leave us some coordinates." With his pen he pointed to a paragraph of nonsense prose. Underneath in his own script were two long sets of numbers.

They had it. They finally had a trail.

A few pilfered maps and two more internet searches gave them their locations. The first was somewhere in Sapporo, Hokkaido, which apparently was quite far. The second was right on the edge of Saitama.

"One train, a drive, and a hike should take us there," he said, marked up map in hand. Those directions were courtesy of the middle aged librarian that Urahara said _something_ to. Tatsuki didn't know (didn't want to know). The librarian blushed and giggled an awful lot, though. (Gross.)

She frowned as he led her to the station, admittedly curious of just what a train might be like.

…

Five minutes later and Tatsuki was no longer feeling curious.

The train station was packed with people, more people than Tatsuki had ever seen in one place. Combine that with how unbearably loud the trains below her feet were and, well, excuse her for being a little overwhelmed, maybe _you should just fuck o–!_

With a knowing smile Urahara placed a hand on her shoulder, silently steering her were they needed to go. At one point he pressed what must have been a train pass in her hand. At another he dragged her to a set of empty seats.

She may have pouted the whole way there out of embarrassment, but he would never tell. (She would burn him alive if he did, after all.)

…

It took about an hour and a half to get to the start of their hike.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off a little way ahead? There's a lodge barely even a mile up," the driver said through his window.

"No, no, this is fine," Urahara insisted.

The man looked at the two, visibly concerned. Behind them was dense forest, no path in sight. Still, it didn't take too much more nudging to get him to drive off, leaving the two to their walk.

They faced the mountain, and just out of the corner of her eye Tatsuki saw Urahara stiffen, saw his eyes widen ever so slightly as they began up the path. He walked ahead just a little bit faster.

She blinked at his back wondering what the hell that was about.

Tatsuki tried to put it out of her mind, instead focusing on keeping her senses sharp. This was the last place they'd be able to check today, evening fast approaching. They needed to make it count.

At the very least, it seemed they were headed to somewhere worth checking. The stench of death lingered in the mountain air, tainting it. It had her feeling uneasy all the way up.

Eventually they made it, and with a grimace Tatsuki fought past her own shivering as the stench hit her in full force.

They had reached a cabin, just as abandoned as the house earlier, but luckily in much better condition. There was a defunct generator protected by a wooden awning right against the house. Through the windows she could see the edges of filing cabinets. With her bare hands she pried open the door. In an instant she clapped a hand over her own mouth and nose.

The smell got worse, much worse.

Captain Urahara shouldered past her, eyes scanning over the broken computer, the turned over filing cabinets whole stacks of papers strewn over the floor. Whoever was here, they left in a hurry.

"It looks like he left a lot behind," Tatsuki muttered. "We should be able to…"

She trailed off only now noticing how silent Urahara was. She watched as he bent down and picked up a stray piece of paper. His eyes scanned over it for a moment before in the next it was crumpled in his hand.

"Pick up whatever you can," he ordered. "I'll see if the computer's hard drive is still salvageable."

Gulping she nodded immediately picking up stack after stack of whatever she could as the man worked away on the machine.

Half an hour later and the two were standing outside of the cabin, a decent bundle of paper in Tatsuki's arms and one copied hard drive tucked away in Urahara's pocket.

"Burn the place," he sighed out.

"What?" Tatsuki yelped.

"You can do it, can't you?" he asked. "You've got Bankai, so I assume you have enough control to do it without harming the forest."

"I-I mean, yeah, but…"

"Then do it," he ordered.

Tatsuki looked at the man, unsure, before simply closing her eyes and reaching for her Soul Candy. Her orders were unambiguous, here. With a few words she activated her Shikai and with one controlled attack she set the cabin ablaze.

Urahara didn't move even after she finished. He just stayed there, watching as the place was overcome. She stayed by his side.

It wasn't until the sky had gone dark and the house was nothing but burning cinders that he spoke.

"There used to be a Quincy settlement here. It was damaged after the war, but it was recovering. It's not here anymore."

With a controlled hand Tatsuki smothered the last of the flames.

They headed down the mountain, Tatsuki silently steering them towards the lodge. Only then, in the darkness did she get a good look at the mountainside.

It was beautiful, that was certain, but it was also empty. The air was thick, the atmosphere ominous. She wanted to leave.

(She tried to reconcile this empty place with the Quincy boy she had fought alongside back on Sōgyoku Hill, the skinny one with the glasses.)

(She felt sick.)

…

It was the middle of the night and Urahara was still up. (Tatsuki was up, too, but that was beside the point.)

He was hunched over the notes gathered that day, scrawling away. He hadn't so much as stood up from that spot since they got the room.

Letting out a quiet huff the girl threw off the covers, sitting up in her bed. She grabbed a pair of slippers from the side and headed into the hall. She thought she saw some drinks somewhere down here.

(Tatsuki couldn't think straight, for some reason. Her mind just kept going back to that place. For the first time she understood why Urahara didn't want to be here.)

She stared at the vending machine, trying to parse what the hell she was looking at. It took a minute or so of trial and error but eventually she walked away with two bottles of green tea, one of the few beverages she recognized in this thing. She headed back to the room.

The first thing she did was make a beeline right for the desk. She set down one of the teas loudly on the table and sat back on Urahara's bed.

"What happened?" she asked curtly. "What really happened? You owe me that much."

The man sat back in his chair, one hand twirling his pen as the other picked up his drink. For a moment Tatsuki thought he wasn't going to answer her.

"…When I first met Kurotsuchi, he was in prison."

She leaned forward, drink clutched in her hand.

"The guy had maybe been out of the Academy for a month when he was slapped with 'assault of a fellow officer.' He called it experimentation. The judges called it torture and stuck him in Maggots Nest, practically threw away the key.

"Enter: young naive me. I see his next scores, some of his confiscated research materials, and I realize he's a genius. I figure that he just needs someone to keep a close eye on him. So, I petition to get him pardoned in exchange for help developing the Shinigami Research and Development Institute.

"The funny thing is, for a while it worked. He _was_ a genius. In less than a year the Institute was everything I'd dreamed of, and in between me and Hiyori, we had him handled. He didn't even try anything. I had actually started to think he'd changed his ways, or something."

He let out a deep sad sigh.

"Then the Visored incident happened, and Hiyori got dragged down with it. Suddenly I had my hands full. I was running two whole Divisions by myself, not to mention working overtime to try and prove that Aizen was somehow behind everything. I needed the help, so I made Kurotsuchi my Lieutenant the first chance I got and gave him whatever authority came with it.

"A few years pass, everything seems to be going better, and one day, by sheer fucking chance I find some… interesting paperwork. It was the type of stuff I'd usually let him handle, stuff I wouldn't even bother to look at, but just for curiosity's sake I decided to today."

He opened his mouth again, nothing coming out this time. He closed it, shook his head, and tried again.

"It was a list of test subjects," he finally bit out. "I marched that paper right to Central Forty-Six, and wouldn't you know it, they didn't care."

This part caught Tatsuki off guard, her gasp just barely audible.

"Yeah, the famous Exiled Lieutenant wasn't officially exiled," he lamented, "and that wasn't for lack of trying, either. They said there wasn't any law against it, that the practices from back in the day weren't technically abolished. They barely went short of praising the bastard.

"So, I did what I could. I fired his ass. Of course, no other Division wanted him, not after all he's done, so he ended up out of the Gotei Thirteen entirely. Then… I guess he wandered around here and just continued his dirty work like nothing even happened."

Tatsuki stayed silent, watching the still full bottle in her hands.

"I should have found another way," he said. "I practically handed him all of these people on a silver platter just because I didn't want to deal with him myself."

She didn't even know what to say here. She wasn't sure if there was anything she _could_ say. Urahara said nothing for a long while, eventually putting his pen back to paper.

"I found more coordinates," he finally said. "We'll search them tomorrow. Get some rest."

She wasn't sure if she could.

…

The next few days went by quickly. So did the next week. It all went by so quickly Tatsuki became genuinely concerned about whether or not they'd meet their deadline. Three more days and the Captain Commander was expecting them to be back with either one murderous scientist or a damn good excuse.

That being said, they at least have _something_ to show for all of this work. They'd collected two extra-wide binders worth of research notes during their search. Granted, very little, if any of it, had anything to to with Aizen, but some of it was quite enlightening.

"Nemu," Urahara said suddenly one day, over breakfast of all things. He had one hand on a fork digging into an extra fluffy stack of pancakes and the other in one of the binders.

"What?"

"I think it's what he named the Artificial Soul. I'm surprised. It's almost a real name. I'm also pretty sure it's just short for Nanagō Nemuri or 'Sleeping Number Seven,' though."

"Interesting," she said in a bored tone. She took a deep sip of her coffee. Urahara looked at her with sympathy.

Okay, maybe it was more than just the deadline that had her concerned. Stamina-wise she was reaching her limit. The nearly two weeks of searching was starting to wear on her. She just hoped it would be over soon. The recent places they'd visited seemed newer; the abandoned toys less frequent. It looked like they were finally catching up to Kurotsuchi.

Today found them smack dab in the middle of Chiba near some farm land. The place was small, which was good for a tracker like her. It meant everyone knew at least a little about everyone here, something she was planning on taking advantage of.

She gulped down the rest of her cup as Urahara polished off his plate, closing his heavy binder. With a stuffed smile he caught the eye of the waitress. She hurried over.

"Chieko," he said with a wink, "thank you so much for taking care of us, but we really must be going, now."

"I'll go ahead and get your bill," she said with a sweet smile.

A few moments later she brought it, an extra slip of paper stuck underneath. She flushed when Urahara tucked it away in his shirt pocket, a winning smile on his face.

 _Ugh,_ as if Tatsuki needed another reason to want to leave. She thought hermits were supposed to be bad at this kind of thing? She ended up half-dragging the man outside, him laughing all the way as she brought them to their destination.

The house they arrived at looked… nice. It was a two-story home, a bit more traditional in style. The lawn was a little overgrown, but there was no stench of death, here. There was a "For Sale" sign posted up front, a padlock holding the door closed. It was in a pleasant neighborhood, too, which mostly meant there was no way Tatsuki was breaking in without drawing attention to herself.

"Maybe we should come back later," she suggested.

" _Maybe_ ," he said, "but I want to look around, first." He walked towards the gate, Tatsuki hurrying behind him in a panic.

"Hey, what if someone sees?" she hissed out.

"There's a 'For Sale' sign, right? If someone asks I'll just say I'm looking to buy. Now, cover me."

Feeling nervous, she did just that when he started snooping through the mailbox. After a moment he grinned.

"Ha!" He pulled out a… coupon pamphlet? She wasn't sure how that could help them here, not until he turned it over revealing a stamped-on name.

 _Mayuri Yagi_

"So, he was here recently," she said.

"I'll bet he only just moved. We could probably try another search with this."

"I'm not so sure," Tatsuki warned. "Even if it was decades ago, he _was_ on a wanted list. I doubt he'd want to be in the public eye after that."

"Well, you've got a point, there," he said, scratching his head.

A determined expression on her face, Tatsuki took the pamphlet from Urahara. She studied the name once more, stuffed it in her back pocket, and walked right up to the front door of a neighboring house. After a long moment of hesitation she knocked on the door, Urahara right behind her.

The person that answered was a middle-aged woman, small and sweet looking.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Tatsuki tried in her most unassuming voice. It must have worked because the woman was relaxing immediately. "Me and my…" she glanced back at Urahara and in a split-second decision said, "brother are here to visit out uncle. Our mom sent us here to check on him, but it looks like he's moved away. Could you help us? His name is Mayuri Yagi."

The woman looked at them strangely, then. "He moved away and you didn't know?"

"You know how family disagreements are," Urahara said quickly. "Mommy dearest wouldn't ask us to hunt him down just for a friendly chat."

"…Well," the woman started, "I'm not really sure how much help I'll be. He was a very private man, you know. A little strange if you ask me."

"Anything would help," Tatsuki insisted. The woman took a moment to consider, then.

"There was that daughter of his," she said finally. "She and I would chat sometimes at the grocery store. She was a shy one, but a nice young woman nonetheless."

"Wow, cousin Nemu talking to someone like that, I'm surprised," Tatsuki said with a laugh. The woman sent her an endearing smile. Urahara gave her a thumbs up behind his back.

"She said they were looking to move somewhere more private," she continued, "but they couldn't have moved far. I still see her every now and again by the store, after all."

"Thank you very much, ma'am," Urahara said with a smile. "That should definitely help us."

"Thank you," Tatsuki said with a bow.

"Oh, you're welcome," the woman said with a smile. "I do hope you find your uncle, for your mother's sake, at least."

They left after that, the two immediately putting their heads together.

"Somewhere quiet…" Tatsuki muttered. "Do you think they moved to a nicer community?"

"And deal with neighborhood watches and security? I doubt it. I'm thinking outskirts of town."

The lingering question was _where_ , of course. With all the farm land near this place that didn't narrow it down much. Then again, they just might have a pretty good lead in. Apparently "Nemu" had a habit of coming back in town. There were plenty of people that might see where she'd go to.

"Follow me," she said. She'd seen a grocery store somewhere near here.

…

The two Shinigami followed a trail of hearsay and rumor right out of town. The houses became smaller, the lots became bigger, and farmland spread out before them. It was here that Tatsuki extended her senses.

"There," she said. Her finger was pointed to one of the newer looking houses. The fields surrounding it were one of the few that weren't in use. A car was parked right outside.

Kurotsuchi was there. They'd finally tracked him down.

"Okay," Tatsuki breathed, "we can–"

She was cut off by a kick from behind, dodging away just in the nick of time. The next strike, flat handed, aimed right at her stomach, was much easier to anticipate.

Tatsuki rolled back and out of the way, springing to her feet to finally face a young woman. She was beautiful, straight black hair pulled into a slick braid. On her face was a cold and calculating expression.

"Nemu," Tatsuki growled. The woman froze, but only for a moment.

Nemu went in for a punch, Tatsuki feinting left, and then, too fast for Tatsuki to see the woman lashed out with a kick catching Tatsuki right across the forehead, knocking her down.

 _Damn she's fast._ Tatsuki needed a moment just to blink the stars from her eyes.

"Bakudō Number Four, Hainawa!" Urahara yelled. Lightning crackled across his fingertips and launched out at Nemu. In a moment it had wrapped around her body, binding her arms and legs as it sparked around her. Tatsuki was kind of amazed by how little this seemed to faze the woman, though.

Tatsuki, for example, was much more fazed when she suddenly found a Zanpakuto at her neck, a pale white hand holding it.

"That was an artificial Reiatsu signature, girl. Do you really think I don't know how to deal with your type?"

Urahara stared up at her captor, and Tatsuki didn't have to turn to see who it was. The look of pure hatred on the Captain's face said it all.

"Kisuke," the man behind her growled.

"Kurotsuchi," Urahara said with a toothy grin.

Silence stretched on, the sounds of crackling electricity in the background.

"What do you want?" Kurotsuchi asked. "You wouldn't go through all this trouble to track me down if you didn't want something."

"Aizen defected," Urahara said simply. "He left behind an entire mountain of research materials, and for some reason the Captain Commander thinks you're the man to decode it."

"Oooh," Kurotsuchi chuckled. "I bet that didn't make you very happy, did it?"

Urahara's smile strained. "Aizen's defecting, or…?"

"Take a guess," Kurotsuchi deadpanned. "Still, I'm surprised it took the man this long to do it."

"…You knew?" Urahara asked dangerously.

"How could I not?" he scoffed. "The man came to me a decade ago practically begging me to join his little rebellion. I turned him down, of course. I don't work for anyone, especially not pathetic children who fancy themselves god."

"…Excuse me?" Urahara asked, surprised. He opened his mouth, closing it, eyes widening. "You know what Aizen's after, don't you?"

Tatsuki felt herself pale in shock.

"What?!" she yelled.

"Quiet, girl!" Kurotsuchi barked. The sword came closer, but she didn't care.

"No!" she yelled back. "My friends nearly died because of that guy! You know something, now tell us!"

Kurotsuchi let out a sigh. "Eleventh Divisioners," he grimaced.

"Former!" Tatsuki corrected.

He let out another sigh. "I have to say, this has been an awful recruitment effort, but… not one without merit."

Urahara stared at the man, frowning.

"I'm honestly still hung up on just _how much_ it must pain you to ask me this, Kisuke. I might just say yes for that…"

Urahara's frown deepened.

"But, no I don't think I will."

Urahara's eyes closed. "Then we're done here," he said resolutely.

"Not quite," Kurotsuchi said with a devious grin. "See, I do know what Aizen's after, or at least I have an idea. I'd like to prove him wrong, and I'm going to need those materials to do it. So, yes, I'll help."

Even from here, Tatsuki could see Urahara's jaw clenching. With a shove Kurotsuchi released her, Nemu's electric bonds disappearing at the same time.

It was then that Tatsuki got her first good look at Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

In many ways he was just like his photo, a man with a toothy smile, white and black face paint done in a strange pattern, but now she could also see his navy hair, his yellowed teeth, the golden caps in place of ears. He was almost frightening. Tatsuki, however, wasn't one to be intimidated.

She fell in step behind Urahara, noting that Nemu did the same as the two men discussed their terms. The back and forth involved, as well as their escalating tones, told her that this would probably take a while. She tried not to focus on it. She instead tried to dissect what Kurotsuchi had said.

Aizen was playing at being god, whatever the hell that meant. It seemed Kurotsuchi himself wasn't sure, but he apparently knew enough for him to want to do something about it.

 _Him,_ who from what she had learned was a monster comparable to Aizen.

Shaking her head, she decided such things were best left with those two. She helped find Kurotsuchi. Her job was done. Now she could finally join Captain Hitsugaya and the others in their quest to bash Arrancar heads.

She wondered how her friends have been doing.

* * *

 **Yeah… Tatsuki isn't joining the gang any time soon. A lot can happen in a week and a half, you know… (Your reviews give me life.)**


	41. XLI

**Here it is, the big battle chapter that you've been waiting for. Enjoy! (Abuse of italics, ellipses, and cursing abound.)**

* * *

Part I

Keigo was on a mission. To others this mission may not have meant much, but he took it with utmost seriousness.

In each hand he carried a bag of _snacks_. His goal: to get them safely across the three blocks they had to travel to reach his home, and more importantly his _sweet perfect loving_ girlfriend that he had the _weekend alone with_.

So, yeah, he really needed to not mess this up.

(Who was he kidding, he was too chicken to try something like _that_ without his heart pounding right out of his chest. [ _Hey, a man could dream, couldn't he?_ ])

Keigo froze in place as an explosion boomed through the air, the ground at his feet trembling. Gulping, he walked ahead faster. He was better off not sticking his nose into it.

Another explosion rocked the earth, sending a jolt of adrenaline through the boy. He could see dust and debris floating in the air not too far from him. He didn't even bother to pause this time and broke into a run.

The wall across from him exploded outwards, slabs of rock skidding across the street, forcing him to half-stumble to a stop as the dust and debris blinded him.

He had an arm over his face, was coughing up a lung, but the weight in his hands prevented him from feeling too bad. The snacks were in the clear.

It took him a moment to realize that he _wasn't_.

The dust clearing, Keigo saw something on the sidewalk ahead of him move, a dark figure that he had mistaken for shadow picking himself up from the ground. Blood ran down the side of his bald head. A sword was gripped tightly in his hand. He must have noticed Keigo's staring because in the next moment he was staring right back sending Keigo a glare that he felt like he didn't deserve. Keigo took a cautious step back.

He was a Shinigami, Keigo figured. That much was obvious from the uniform. If he wasn't, Keigo would have been running by now.

Then Keigo saw another figure jump over the remains of the wall and land right behind the Shinigami, all in the span of a second.

" _Look ou–!"_

Suddenly the teenager was wheezing. He was flat on his back about eighty kilograms worth of Shinigami right on top of him. He glanced down at the sidewalk seeing groceries scattered absolutely everywhere. With a heavy sigh and a grunt he moved the groaning Shinigami off him.

"Just like that! One hit and you're out!" a man laughed. Keigo looked up, and felt a jolt of fear go through him immediately. Breath caught in his lungs he tried to move back, only for his arm to scream at him in protest. One glance and he realized he'd skinned his elbow to hell and back.

Heart pounding he brought his feet under him, hands grabbing at whatever snacks were within reach. It was time to go.

"… _Kid_ …" the Shinigami grumbled. One half opened eye was trained on him. Keigo nearly fell over in shock.

"You're alright?!" He winced at how badly that came out.

 _Stop wasting time and run,_ he thought, though the voice sounded a whole lot like Rukia for some reason. He glanced up at the Hollow, large and muscle bound just like the one from the other day. His eyes were trained on the two in interest, an interest that looked awfully murder-y.

"Kid!" the Shinigami yelled, and right in his face, too.

Keigo let out a very manly " _eep!"_

"Mind if I stay with you?" the Shinigami asked suddenly.

"Uh…" Keigo moved back nervously. _What the hell?!_ "I… Uh… I'm n-not so sure about that…"

The Shinigami seemed to ignore him completely. "I'm having some real shitty luck today," he started, "but since you're already dragged into this, I thought, 'What the hell?' I take that ape down," he pointed behind himself to said ape, "save your life and get a roof over me and my companion's heads while I'm at it. You got that?"

"Uh…" Keigo said dumbly. The man grabbed him by the collar shaking him furiously.

"Don't give me that weak shit! It's either 'yes' or 'no'!"

"Y-YES!" Keigo cried.

"That's the spirit!"

The man dropped Keigo with little ceremony standing up fully, sword back in hand. He turned to face the Hollow, a manic sort of grin on his face.

"Oi! You there!" he called to the Hollow. "I haven't heard your name."

Keigo stumbled back, gathering a few more snacks in his arms. He didn't want to involve himself anymore in this fight than he had to, and listening to whatever samurai bullshit these two monsters were going on about counted as "getting too involved" to him.

"Really?!" he muttered to himself. "This had too happen to me _again_?!"

"'Again?'" someone beside him asked. Keigo nearly pissed himself right there, dropping about half his snacks in the process. Then he noticed the black robes. With a frown he picked up the dropped snacks.

"Yeah…" he answered hesitantly, "again." He counted the items in his arms. About half of it had survived.

He stood up shakily. For a moment he considered just bolting and ignoring whatever arrangement baldy thought they had. He wasn't sure if it was exhaustion or cowardice that made him stay. God, he hoped that Shinigami had it handled.

Feeling like his nerves had just been set on fire, Keigo glanced up at the Shinigami next to him. "You're his… companion, right? Aren't you going to help him?"

"No," the man said. "That's not really our way. Besides, look at how much fun he's having."

Keigo gulped. He looked up at the fight. The Shinigami clashed with the Hollow, that crazed smile still on his face. (It was a far cry from how Paku looked during her fights, that cute brand of smugness radiating from her when she was winning. Still, it was oddly familiar.)

"Don't you want to do something?" Keigo asked. "At least a little. I mean, he could die out there!"

The man scoffed, "Of course I want to, but I wont. It would be an insult to Ikkaku."

Keigo looked hard at the man next to him and once more at the fight. "Ikkaku" didn't seem to be doing too well. Letting out a sigh he leaned against the still intact part of the wall.

Shinigami were weird.

Part II

"Undecimo, huh?" Ichigo smirked, adjusting his grip on his Shikai. Goddamn did it feel good to be holding it again. "That'd be… Eleventh, right?"

"You would be correct," Shawlong said. The Hollow stretched himself to his full height, eyes cold as he gazed down at the Shinigami. It was obviously a look meant to intimidate. It might have worked had his opponent been someone else.

"Then I'd better make this quick," he said, readjusting his grip. "I'm Ichigo Shiba, Lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division. Prepare to die."

Ichigo lunged at him, striking down hard and heavy, grinning as he watched the Arrancar dodge that as well as the follow up slash that would have cut the bastard right in half. The Arrancar landed a few meters away in midair, right where Ichigo wanted him.

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

Shawlong's eyes widened briefly, blurring from sight as a dark energy came at him with lightning speed. He landed on a nearby rooftop, panic starting to seep in as he gingerly held his badly burned arm.

That had Ichigo frowning. That attack should have taken Shawlong's arm clean off.

 _The higher ups sure are taking their sweet time, aren't they?_

"A Lieutenant," the Hollow grunted out. "How fortunate for me."

"I'm not sure if I would say that," Ichigo quipped back. _I'll just have to make due for now._

He came at the Hollow again, pushing his speed. He chased the man, slashing after him and holding back a curse when he realized he was having trouble keeping up.

That was alright, though. His strength lied in other areas.

"You gonna use that sword of yours any time soon?" he asked with a crooked grin. He watched as the Hollow frowned his hand going to it. In that little pause Ichigo scored a slice right across the guy's side sending him back with a hiss. He stumbled his landing.

"I just might have to," Shawlong answered. He unsheathed it. "Snip, Tijereta _._ "

This time Ichigo cursed out loud. The power that overtook the Hollow was blinding, an energy expanding outwards and forcing Ichigo back several meters to safety. Blinking the spots out of his eyes he tried to get a good look at his new enemy.

The first thing he noticed was that the bastard's arm and side had gotten better, which, _great_. The second thing he noticed were the huge knife like claws, the prehensile tail tipped by wicked looking spikes, and the armor covering the man. So, this was his true form.

In a sudden flash that form was right in front of Ichigo, claws extended. Before Ichigo really knew what happened he was sent tumbling back, fingers clawing for purchase as his chest burned. With a scraped hand he grabbed onto the edge of a roof, biting back a scream. Taking a deep breath he dragged himself up.

" _Resurrección,_ " the Arrancar said with a smirk. Standing tall he flicked the blood off his claws. " _This is the power that all us Arrancar possess. I'm afraid it will be your undoing, Lieutenant._ "

Ichigo flashed him a bloody grin. "Then I guess it's only fair I do this… Bankai!"

This time Shawlong was the one sent stumbling back as power enveloped Ichigo, the Old Man's presence coming to the forefront. (He was going to get a lecture for this one, he could already tell.)

For now, he let that familiar feeling of the form fitting robe, of Zangetsu's heavy weight in his palm wash over him, if only for a moment.

Shawlong didn't waste time coming at Ichigo again, expression unreadable. He slashed at the Shinigami, _once, twice,_ frustration growing as Ichigo danced out of the way, him barely catching the ragged edge of his robe.

The Arrancar's tail came in for the third looping around for a stab only for Ichigo to dodge left and with a slice lop it right off. His opponent let out a stifled yelp, lashing out a hand lightning fast. It sent Ichigo flying into the opposite wall.

Yeah, he was definitely getting a lecture later. That was goddamn embarrassing.

With a grunt Ichigo tore himself from the wall landing below on shaky feet. He could feel the gashes along his face, neck, and shoulder. He ignored them.

" _What a disappointment,_ " Shawlong said. " _I'd expect more from the Bankai of a Lieutenant_."

Ichigo was about to snap back, tell him exactly where he could shove that disappointment, but his Lieutenant's badge chose then to buzz on his arm.

" _Request for Limit release: Approved!"_

Ichigo grinned as he felt the seal on his chest fade away. Shawlong did not.

" _Wh-what does that me–?!_ "

"Getsuga Jūjishō!"

The attack sliced through the air, a cross lighting over Shawlong's chest, his eyes wide in shock. He fell to the ground in singed pieces.

Ichigo sheathed his Zanpakuto, feeling his Bankai dissipate. He stumbled to his feet.

"You spent the whole fight gloating, and for what?" Ichigo sighed out.

The Hollow didn't answer. He just dissolved, as all Hollows do.

Ichigo turned away, finally allowing himself to feel the burn of his wounds. He said he would meet up with Rukia, but it struck him that as he was now, he'd just end up being a burden.

(His vision was turning blurry. Blood saturated the black fabric of his uniform much more than he'd like.)

He wasn't one to break promises. All he had to do was find Orihime and _then_ find Rukia. (Hopefully her fight had gone a lot better than his.)

Part III

Tōshiro looked disdainfully at the Hollow blood currently frozen to his Shikai. If he'd ever have to name the number one drawback of having an ice-based Zanpakuto…

It would be his weakness to heat, but that was why he had Lieutenant Arisawa. This was a close second, though.

It didn't help that the Arrancar hadn't even been worth the effort. _Di Roy Rinker, the Dieciséis Arrancar._ What a joke. Tōshiro was beginning to think he'd overestimated Aizen. Then again, it seemed plenty of others were still dealing with their own fights. He'd better help where he could.

He turned his senses outward. Lieutenant Matsumoto seemed close by, seemed to be having some trouble, even. He'd lend her a hand, then.

Part IV

The first thing that had Renji thinking something had gone seriously wrong were the giant spikes of Reiatsu throughout the city, so obvious that, well, even he could sense them loud and clear.

The second was the laughter that had him stopping in his tracks.

It was low, gleeful, and annoying as hell. When a slender blonde man ( _Hollow_ ) descended from the trees he came to a Renji that wasn't nearly as surprised or fearful as the freak probably wanted him to be. Still, he unsheathed his blade, a grin on his face.

"You're so serious for a human," he said. "Then again, you aren't a normal human, are you?"

Renji activated his spikes. "I'm not." The Hollow whistled appreciatively.

"Good," he said happily, "That's going to make this a whole lot more interesting. Yylfordt Granz, Quince Arrancar."

Renji cocked an eyebrow. He'd heard of this particular quirk from Rukia a few times. "Renji Abarai… Fullbringer." Yylfordt's grin widened.

The Arrancar wasted no time attacking him, sword coming down fast on Renji, forcing him into an awkward block. For such a wiry guy, the Hollow seemed to have a lot of strength, much more than Renji was expecting. It was all he could do to deflect the blow and try to punch past the fumble.

The punch barely grazed the man, Renji letting out a growl as he followed through with a kick that had the Yylfordt jumping wholly out of range. That only lasted a moment, though.

In the next, Renji was being rushed with a speed he hadn't thought possible. He dropped down to avoid a stab, not even having time to react when the blade instead caved a decent slice off the top of his shoulder.

He clamped a hand to his wound, tried to rush the bastard in return–

And he was on his back, street cracking from the impact, his spine screaming at him. He slapped down a hand to lever himself up, trying to push it to the back of his mind, and suddenly there was a hand at his shirt-collar, dragging him up.

He was centimeters away from the business end of a sword.

He felt… dazed, in more ways than one. _That was it, huh? That was really all it took._

The Arrancar grinned down at him, a crazed sort of glee in his eyes. His sword came down.

Part V

When Orihime felt the Arrancar come she had been in the middle of drying her hair, trying to enjoy a peaceful summer night in the back of the Shiba Shop.

Then came the Reiatsu, and in seconds she was ditching the Gigai, making a beeline for the one several blocks away that didn't seem to be with a Shinigami yet. That didn't mean it was alone, however.

One look at the scene and she was summoning her Shikai. "Blossom, Shun Shun Rikka!"

The shields couldn't have come quickly enough, enveloping a worn down Renji, halting the bleeding of his shoulder. The Hollow's blade clanged harmlessly against it. She trained her hands on the enemy, watching as he flashed her a smirk.

"A Shinigami… How interesting."

"Are you okay?" she asked Renji quickly.

"Fine," he hissed out. He had a hand clamped to his wounded shoulder. One of his spikes seemed to be broken off. He didn't look "fine." Still, he scrambled up next to her, a determined look on his face.

"Go to the shop," she ordered. "I'll take care of this one."

"No way," he said firmly. "Yylfordt here pissed me off." His spikes flared out wider with his anger. She didn't have the time to argue with him right now.

"Yylfordt _Granz_ ," the Hollow corrected. "Quince Arrancar."

Summoning the rest of her butterflies she boxed the Arrancar in, a hand aimed his way.

With a pleasant smile she answered back, "Orhime Inoue, Third Seat, Fourth Division. Hadō Number Fifty-Four, Haien."

The Hollow dodged the only way he could, up, jumping into the air, his shoes getting caught in the crossfire. He kicked them off in a hurry, the sandals turning to cinders as he darted away to avoid more of her butterflies. He was fast, but not _Tatsuki_ fast.

"That a promotion I hear?" Renji asked.

She nodded back, pleased. "At first I felt bad taking Hanatarō's place, but he was very nice about it."

He flashed her a grin before going in at the Hollow again. Renji's speed couldn't even compare, but it forced the Hollow to slow down just enough for her to…

Granz broke away from Renji, turning to Orihime and forcing her butterflies to come to her aid just in time to block his blow.

"Hadō Number Four, Byakurai!" she called.

He dodged back in an instant, feinting to the side, the spell catching him in the face. He stumbled back, and Orihime couldn't tell if she'd really hurt him or just made him angry.

"You… BITCH!" he screamed. It was then that she got a good look at his face, the heavily damaged eye all but sealed shut, the melted skin. _Both, then_ , she thought. Too bad it wasn't enough to take him down.

Renji came at Granz, kicking him away and forcing him to blur back.

"I've had enough of this," Granz muttered. "I'm ending this, now. I'm gonna fucking kill the both of you!"

"Right back at you, buddy!" Renji yelled. At that, the Hollow gave them a disturbed smile.

"Skewer, Del Toro."

Orihime's eyes widened. That sounded a whole lot like a release command. She prepared a spell, one with just a little more kick to it, and bringing her hands up she–

She was jerked up into the air, Reiryoku from her hands dissipating as she choked on nothing. _Well, no, not nothing_.

Looking down she saw the transformed Hollow. He was not the skinny man from before. He looked more like a bull, hunched over, steam rising from his nostrils, and covered to the waist in a Hollow's armor. On the top of his skull were two horns, each as long as a katana. One was currently buried in her stomach.

"ORIHIME!" she heard Renji yell. She could barely breath, much less respond.

Then, she was being bucked off, and in a moment her butterflies came to her, forming a perimeter around her stomach, boxing away the wound and easing the pain before it had a chance to hit.

 _Impalement injury. Upper diaphragm. Seal off with proper Kidō spell. Send orders to prepare–_

Orihime cut off her harried thoughts. She breathed through it all, bringing herself onto her feet. She'd be fine. As long as she had her Shikai she'd be fine.

Before her, Granz was letting out a distorted snarl. She looked back down seeing all six of her butterflies doing their best to keep her alive. This just got a lot harder.

They were still waiting on Limit Release, weren't they? If she could only buy them time until then…

Renji rushed to her side, eyes wide, hands hovering as he looked completely and utterly lost. "Shit, are you okay? Wait, stupid question. No, you're not fucking okay–!"

" _I'm fine_ ," she stressed, " _and_ I think I know how to defeat him. I just need some time."

"I… I can get you time," he answered with a nod. She flashed him a smile.

This smile fell when she saw him run right in front of Granz, hands waving wildly in the air.

"HEY, YOU BIG STUPID!" he yelled. He then turned to dart out of the way of Granz's charging attack, rolling on the ground as the Arrancar impacted with a light post.

Graz's new form wasn't as fast, it seemed. This might actually work.

"Hadō Number Sixty-Three, Raikōhō!" she yelled at his back. Lightning crackled along her palm, striking out at the Hollow. He turned just in time, veering out of the way and impacting with a nearby wall. The spell struck the ground leaving a small crater in its wake. It wasn't her best work, she'd admit.

Orihime kept the spells coming, chasing after as she tried to keep the Hollow just distracted enough to prevent him from skewering Renji. The fight moved erratically throughout the town, eventually leading them to the tree line of the park.

She watched as Renji got just distracted enough, just tired enough to run headfirst into one of the older trees along the edge. It was enough to make her heart stop. Then, scrapes and all, he tore himself away, diving left as Granz collided with it, horns burying deep into the wood.

" _Request for Limit Release: Approved!"_

It couldn't have come at a better time.

The Hollow reared back, tearing the tree from its roots and snapping it like a mere twig in the process.

"Bakudō Number Sixty-Two, Hyapporankan!"

A spear of light manifested in Orihime's hand, and with a single throw, dozens impacted with the Hollow, burrowing into his armor and pinning him to the wreckage of the old tree like… well, a _butterfly_.

(Excuse her giddiness. After about thirty failed spells, this was a breath of fresh air.)

" _What the fuck was that?!"_

"Limit Release," Orihime said calmly. "Us ranking Shinigami can't just use our full power in the World of the Living whenever we'd like, not without consequences. Approval was requested for it the moment you invaded. We have just received it."

Beside her Renji slumped to the ground, chest heaving. "I've never run that fast in my entire goddamn life."

" _Let me go!"_ Granz roared. _"Let me go you bastards!"_

"I don't think so," Orihime said back. She brought her hands up in front of her, and used the one spell she could think of that could end this cleanly and quickly.

Captain Unohana had taught her this one herself. This would be her first time using it, like _this_ anyway.

Reiryoku gathered along her fingertips she snapped eight times, sparks darting around Granz's head, forming a cubed barrier around it, a light harmless blue. She brought her hands together in a resounding clap.

"Standing Ovation."

The barrier turned red, and through his mask Orihime could see Granz's eye widen, just for a moment. In the next moment his head was sliding from his body as it dissolved from existence.

Orihime let out a breath, sending up a silent prayer. Then, her feet gave out from under her.

Strong arms caught her before she could fall, and just as she was about to give Renji a quiet thanks she looked up and saw Ichigo, a frown on his face. His condition didn't look much better, to her eye. The familiarity of it all had her smiling.

"Thanks," she said, separating herself from him. She was pretty sure she could stand on her own, for now, at least.

He shrugged. "I'm glad to see your guys' fight went alright… sorta," he said awkwardly.

"Are all these bastards this tough?" Renji groaned.

"It could have been a lot worse," Ichigo said simply. "I think most are done fighting by now, all except… Rukia."

Renji stiffened. Then, he let out a sigh. "Of course. Who else could it be?"

Ichigo sent him a pointed glance before turning back to Orihime. "Patch me up. I'm gonna try and help her out."

"Ichigo," she sighed, "you're severely injured," he opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off, " _and_ you can't keep yourself together with your own Zanpakuto. I'll go."

"Or," Renji interrupted, "I could go, you know, as the least injured person here."

Ichigo sent him a hard stare. "Would you even be able to find her? I'm pretty sure tracking isn't your thing."

"Hey! I've gotten a little better! Besides, even I could find a fight."

Orihime looked between the two of them exasperatedly, hoping that _either of them_ would use their heads, here.

Ichigo frowned, considering. "Well, I guess we'll all have to go." Renji shrugged, relenting.

She wasn't sure what she was thinking. With a sigh she readied a spell for Ichigo. He wasn't going anywhere before she stopped the bleeding.

Part VI

"There you are."

Rukia skidded to a stop. She was maybe one block away from Renji's house. Why did someone have to stop her now of all times?

The heavy thud of someone landing right behind her sounded, and with a sigh she unsheathed her Zanpakuto.

The person facing her was an odd one. With his bright blue hair combed back like some biker punk's she might have thought him just that, a biker punk. What gave him away was the jawbone stuck to his face and the hole in his stomach.

"Sexta Espada, Grimmjow Jagerjaquez," he said with a grin. "Remember that, Substitute."

It struck her immediately that he was much different from the last one she had faced. It was something in the way he held himself, in the swagger of his step. She'd have to be careful.

"Then again," he scoffed, "someone as weak as you probably won't have long to."

She attacked him then, lashing out and striking at his core. With a hand he grabbed her blade mid-swing. He sneered down at her.

A thousand warning bells went off in Rukia's head and before she could even think about it she was jumping back and out of reach. He simply rolled his eyes, shaking the chill from his hand.

"What the fuck was that?" he asked in a bored tone. "You really should pull out your mask, already, Substitute, cause…"

Suddenly he was right in front of her, clawed hand coming down. She had barely a moment to dodge back.

"If you don't, I'm gonna kill ya."

Pulse pounding, Rukia brought up a hand, only to force it down. No, she had to time it just right.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" she yelled. He smirked.

"Now we're talking!" he roared. She answered him by sending a Next Dance his way, forcing hm back. She kept them coming.

To her dismay, he not only dodged them, he made it look easy, almost seeming to float out of the way. Still, some good came out of it. She watched as with a smirk he hopped over the back fence and into the cemetery garden. She chased after, sending him further in, far away from all those sleeping soundly in their apartments.

"I know you can do more than that, Substitute!" Jaegerjaquez yelled. "The mask, now!"

She scowled, halting her attack. _Here goes nothing._ "Bankai!"

His eyes widened as a burst of cold went out, the air around her quickly dropping in temperature as her Zanpakuto's form changed, her changing along with it.

Then, heart pounding, she pulled her mask over her face.

Her next attack was a bit more effective. She swung at the Arrancar, forcing him away as several trees in her path were frozen solid, them cracking apart soon after. It was only then that he unsheathed his sword, his blade meeting hers and driving her back into a deadlock.

"That wasn't on Ulquiorra's report," he growled out. _That incessant grin was still on his face._

She pushed him back, hiding a wince as the movement cracked open a healed scar along her elbow. She put a hand over it, freezing the wound over. Jaegerjaquez took notice.

"And no wonder," he commented with a smirk. She attacked him for it, destroying two more trees and missing him. Already she could feel her mask cracking. Did she have so little time in Bankai?

One thing was certain. She needed to strike now, and she needed to strike hard, assuming she wanted to survive.

She came at Jaegerjaquez with all of her speed, Reiryoku charged in her blade as she slashed him across the chest, frost forming in the wound immediately. With that, several chunks of the mask fell away, exposing her mouth.

He disappeared suddenly, sending her into high alert, but unable to react fast enough. His hand felt scorchingly hot at the back of her neck, and with great force he threw her forward, sending her tumbling on the ground, frost in her wake.

With a groan she stumbled up to her hands and knees, mask falling away.

" _Fuck!_ " Jaegerjaquez hissed. The frost on his hand didn't just shake away, this time. It stuck, enveloping his hand and starting a slow spread up his wrist. "Well, I'll tell you this," he growled. "You've finally made it worth my time to kill you."

Bringing a foot under her it struck Rukia that this was her chance, while he was incapacitated. Even without the mask, if she could get in just one good attack… She brought up her sword and–

Her heart stopped as someone appeared behind Jaegerjaquez, hand on the Hollow's Zanpakuto.

It wasn't an Arrancar, and it certainly wasn't one of her friends. It was a Captain, one of those that had run off with Aizen back on Sōgyoku Hill.

Outwardly, Rukia was still. Inwardly, she was panicking. Could she beat Jaegerjaquez? Maybe. Jaegerjaquez and a _Captain_? Doubtful.

"Sheath your sword, Grimmjow," he said.

"Tōsen," Jaegerjaquez bit out, "why the hell are you here?!"

"Why…" The man sighed. "Do you really not understand?"

The glare that Jaegerjaquez sent him said it all. Tōsen turned away, stepping into the air towards the portal opened above them.

The Shinigami continued, anger bubbling just under the surface, "Invading the World of the Living. Mobilizing five Arrancar without permission. Attacking Shinigami… Lord Aizen is absolutely furious."

Jaegerjaquez's good fist clenched so hard that it shook.

"We're leaving," Tōsen said firmly. "Your punishment will be decided in Hueco Mundo."

"Shit," the Hollow hissed. Still, he stepped up with the Captain. "…Alright."

Rukia was left on the ground.

"Y…You're leaving?!" she yelled. "Is that all you Arrancar can do, run away?!"

She was being given an out. She should have just taken it and been grateful, yet…

"Shut up!" he yelled back. "If it weren't for Tōsen, here, I'd have splattered you all over these trees with my released form!"

Rukia's breath caught in her throat. She'd suspected they might have something like that, but…

"Don't worry, though, Substitute," he continued behind the closing portal. "You'll see me again, and when you do… you'll meet your end."

The portal closed, the sky becoming whole once again. Rukia's Bankai disappeared leaving her with nothing but a sealed sword and a bleeding arm.

"Rukia!" she heard suddenly. _Ichigo,_ she thought. Crunching leaves, snapping branches, and the loud bickering of her friends broke the silence of the garden.

Despite everything, when her three friends stumbled onto the scene, she just felt tired. The fact that they all looked so bad didn't help.

"Rukia!" Orihime cried. "Are… are you alright?"

Without too much trouble Rukia stood up, hand on her injured arm.

"I'm alright," she said quietly.

Orihime let out a long sigh. "At least one of us is. Come on, let's hurry over to the Shiba Shop. I doubt I can handle all these injuries on my own."

With a patient hand on her shoulder, Orihime steered Rukia back towards the fence. She was the first the jump it, flashing Rukia a sympathetic smile.

Ichigo was second. He walked over, stopped by Rukia, and saying nothing, placed a hand on her head, messing her hair. She didn't have it in her to glare at him for it. He jumped.

Renji was last, lingering for a few seconds, unsure, looking at her for _something_. She decided to give him something.

"I lost."

He flinched at first, bringing a hand up to the back of his neck, uncomfortable.

"You're… you're alive," he eventually said. "That's what matters."

Rukia brought up a hand, wiping away the tear that she didn't realize was there. She sniffed loudly, nodded and jumped over the fence. Renji came right after.

She lost, but she was alive. All she had to do was make sure that next time she won. With that in her mind, she walked slowly with the others to the shop.

* * *

 **I played a little fast and loose with some powers and abilities. Things like giving Ichigo a late manga ability that only appeared because his Bankai was split in half, or having Orihime use a spell specifically signature to Hachigen. I believe it was all in good fun and that the coolness factor outweighed the possible headscratcher. If you disagree you can always fight wit me in the comments. (They do give me life, after all…)**


	42. XLII

**I noticed that there's less than ten chapters left in this arc and I'm kinda shook. I hope that you all enjoy this one, and I hope that all of you that followed this fic but just kinda forgot to favorite it, too actually do so because I PROMISE it helps.**

 **(It helps me. I like seeing numbers go up because psychology.)**

* * *

Part I

Paku sat _alone_ on a couch. The couch was an ugly yellow, the material worn yet somehow still scratchy. It was an awful couch. When she'd told Keigo as much he laughed.

" _Blame my mom for that,"_ he chuckled. _"She's nice enough, but she's got the worst taste."_

Uncomfortable, Paku shifted, wincing when the material brushed against her toes through her leg brace. She wished she had someone to complain about it to, again.

But here she was _alone_ for nearly the last hour.

Oh, she'd considered going out. When the attacks started she'd nearly rushed out right then and there, almost blind with panic, but in the end she held herself back. She wouldn't be much use to anyone as she was, now.

So, she had sat back down on this _itchy, ugly_ couch and waited…

…and waited…

…and _goddammit Keigo could you hurry it up already?!_

"I'm home!"

Paku sat up straight, shoulders finally relaxing. She wondered if the relief she felt then was visible. Keigo always said she was easy to read. With a swing of legs she brought herself onto her feet.

"Welcome back," she said tiredly, and she clambered up to the apartment's entrance with uneven steps.

Mentally she was preparing herself to drag him in by the collar, to hug him tight, and giggle as he started stuttering and blushing in a way she found downright adorable.

She was stopped when she saw him walk in with a defeated expression, half smashed snacks cradled in his arms and two disguised Shinigami limping in behind him. One of them seemed pretty messed up, his companion practically carrying him through the door.

 _Goddammit Keigo._

"Who are these two?" she asked, practically glowering at them.

"…Guests?" Keigo tried.

"You don't seem very sure."

"Excuse me?" the annoyance that was still standing asked. "Would you happen to have anything I could bind his wounds with?"

"I'm fine," the annoyance that was on death's door said. His companion sent him a stern look, one that had him averting his eyes.

"We have a first aid kit in the bathroom," her boyfriend offered. "I think there are some old towels you can use in one of the drawers, but _please_ don't get blood on anything. My parents will kill me."

"Noted."

He gave them directions, _second door down the right_ , dropped all the snacks on the kitchen counter, and leaning against it heavily let out a long suffering sigh. Paku didn't so much as make a sound until she heard the bathroom door open and then close.

"Shinigami," she started with, "really?"

"It's not like I had a choice in his!"

She looked at him for a moment and then let out a silent huff. "Figures," she said. She always had the shittiest luck, didn't she?

"It's not all bad!" he said quickly, waving his hands. "I can stick them in my sister's room where they won't bother us, and, uh, we can watch that movie, just like we planned!"

She pouted, staring at him for a bit longer, not saying anything back. In one rough motion she grabbed him by his middle and dragged him close, so close she could hear his heart pounding right against her ear.

For a moment his arms froze, hovering over. Then, they settled, warm and comfortable around her.

Part II

Rangiku felt bad.

No, it wasn't her head injury. Tessai had taken care of that nearly an hour ago. Rather, her feelings were centered around the young human in front of her.

The girl looked downright pathetic, head down and silent as a corpse as she lead Rangiku to her home. The poor thing had been devastated when Tessai told everyone that Orihime needed to be brought back to the Fourth for treatment. Her hearing that Shiba would be down for the next few days hadn't really helped either.

For the first leg of their trip Rangiku had taken it upon herself to cheer up this little sad sack. She'd pestered her about her brother (and gotten some truncated grumbles about his job). She'd asked about what human school would be like (and was told in about a sentence the subjects they took). She'd even tried a bit of flirting.

" _You're wayyy too cute to be frowning like that,"_ she'd said, literally draping herself over the girl.

That didn't even get a response.

(Okay, that might not have been her best work, but she was at the end of her rope, here!)

She (guiltily) felt _intense_ relief when they finally reached Rukia's house. The Substitute unlocked the door, invited Rangiku in, and finally said _something_ after about five blocks of silence.

"I'm home."

The house was nice, Ragiku thought. Whoever this brother was, he seemed to have some decent money.

Spotting movement out of the corner of her eye she glanced up and saw him.

 _You've got to be kidding me._

The man saw Rukia and let out a near imperceptible sigh of relief. He barely even seemed to notice Rangiku simply sending her a glance as he came around the kitchen counter.

"This is my… classmate, Matsumoto," Rukia rushed out, "and… Matsumoto, this is my brother, Byakuya."

 _You've GOT to be kidding me._

"You don't say," Rangiku said _out loud, oh gods–_ "I mean… it's nice to meet you! I'm sorry she's back so late. That'd be my fault."

That was the cover story they'd practice, anyway. It all seemed a bit useless, now. He coughed awkwardly into his hand.

"That's alright," he said simply.

"We have an extra room upstairs," Rukia said easily and _holy fuck she had no idea,_ "but it probably needs to be cleaned out, first. You can stay in my room tonight. Come on, I'll show you where the bath is."

Rangiku followed Rukia up the stairs feeling her brother's eyes on her back.

A little over an hour later had Ragiku lying awake in a futon, Rukia quietly sleeping a mere meter away. The girl was a decent enough host, despite everything. She'd even offered Rangiku a pair of pajamas to borrow. Of course, Rukia's pajamas were too small for her, so Rangiku had to use an old pair of her brother's.

As if this situation couldn't get any more awkward.

At one point, Ragiku had had enough. Trying to stay as quiet as possible she got out of bed and left the room, heading downstairs. Maybe a glass of water would help clear her mind? Maybe a bit of half-panicked pacing would tire her out? Maybe she should just leave all together? _That last one didn't sound too bad, actually._

When she reached the bottom of the steps she saw none other than Byakuya sitting at the dining room table, a bottle of sake in front of him. He cracked it open, poured two cups, and gestured to the chair across from him.

"I… assume you have some questions," he said.

She looked at him feeling something between "what the fuck" and simply "fuck it."

She sat down, grabbed the cup in front of her and downed it all in one go like it was a cheap shop. _It was actually pretty good stuff._

"You could say that," she finally answered. "All I'm really wondering, though, is what an ex-Captain is doing in suburban Tokyo."

"I hear that's not so uncommon nowadays." He refilled her glass.

"No, I guess It's not." This round, she decided to take her time with it, swirling the liquid around the cup and taking in the aromatic scent. She took an appreciative sip. "Everyone thinks you're dead, you know."

"That's surprising," he said, finally taking his own swig. "I assumed young Shiba would have said something by now."

"He didn't. He probably should have, though. Everyone got real quiet when Captain Urahara said Aizen killed the old Lieutenant Shiba… instead of… well, you."

"Funny that."

The atmosphere turned uncomfortable, the Shinigami going silent. The two took gratuitously long sips.

"…You don't want them to know, do you?" Rangiku asked quietly. "You don't want to come back."

Byakuya shrugged. "Not particularly. The idea of going back to the people that tried to have me killed for a crime I did not commit does not appeal to me."

Rangiku looked down at her cup suddenly finding it _very interesting_. There were rumors about the Second being asked in secret to "take care of things" after Central Forty-Six decided against execution. It seemed those rumors were true, partially anyway.

"…But perhaps… one day."

Rangiku nearly choked on her drink.

"Wait, so you _would_ come back?!"

"I have important things to take care of, now," he answered. He sent a meaningful glance up the staircase. "Besides, my power is not what it used to be, but yes… one day."

He took one final sip, finishing the glass and placing it away from him on the table. She did the same.

"That's… good to know," she said tiredly. With that she stood up, grabbing the bottle of sake by its neck and tucking it under her arm.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow in response, but said nothing.

"Payment," she explained, "for keeping this little talk to myself." She started towards the stairs but stopped at the last minute. "I've gotta say, I'm a little relieved, though. I won't have to keep up some cover story, now, besides, maybe, for Rukia's sake."

Byakuya went silent, again, eyes downcast. Rangiku's smirk strained.

"It's only a matter of time," she pointed out. "One look at your Reiryoku, and it's kinda obvious."

Byakuya let out a long sigh. "When that happens, I will deal with it. For now _goodnight_ Lieutenant Matsumoto."

She grinned cheekily at him. "Goodnight Cap'n."

Rangiku headed up, then, patting her newly acquired bottle of booze. Maybe now she'd be able to get some sleep?

 _Yeah… Probably not._

Byakuya. Good ol' prim and proper Captain Byakuya. Mr. Rising Star Future Clan-Head turned fugitive whose deeds and ultimate death lead to the collapse of the Kuchiki. Here he was, some family man in the World of the Living. It was goddamn surreal. It was the type of thing she'd hear Kira rant about after drowning his Gin related sorrows in sake and beer. It was the type of thing that she'd mock him for the next day.

Byakuya didn't have to worry about her telling, because she was pretty sure no one would believe her if she tried.

Part III

Rukia spent an entire day at school enduring _even more_ stares. She didn't remember this happening so often back when she was just doing regular old Hollow hunting. Then again, those fights weren't quite this rough.

 _No,_ she thought. She clearly remembered the burns on her legs hidden by rolled up stockings and the bruises on her back concealed by her uniform shirt. There was just something much more conspicuous about a giant bruise on her chin matching the mostly faded one on her forehead.

(She had at least two teachers ready to call her in for a "special meeting," she was sure.)

Pushing open the warehouse door, she tried to not think on it so hard. Thinking about it made her think about yesterday's fight, and then Jaegerjaquez, and then–

"Tch, you look like shit," Sarugaki scoffed.

"Thanks," Rukia said tersely, pushing past her. She really wasn't in the mood for this. Hopefully Sarugaki would get the hint and just leave.

The Visored didn't leave, of course. Instead she kept pace beside her.

"I heard you had a rough fight," she said nonchalantly.

Rukia didn't answer instead going just a little faster. Sarugaki must have taken this as an outright challenge because suddenly she had disappeared in a blur only to reappear in front of Rukia, sword out.

"Cut the moping and suit up," Sarugaki said. "We're gonna have a little fight."

This caught Rukia off guard. She didn't think Sarugaki wanted anything to do with her training. Still, she found herself digging into her bag to retrieve her Soul Candy. The girl across from her didn't wait, simply walking to the back and leaving to the fighting grounds. Rukia rushed ahead to follow.

The hideout was strangely empty, she noticed. There was Aikawa who was napping on the couch, but everyone else was gone, all other presences missing from the area. Usually she could at least count on Mashiro or Muguruma to be out back, but–

"Mask and Shikai, too," Sarugaki said suddenly. In one smooth motion the Visored pulled her own over her face.

Rukia stepped to the other side of the makeshift ring. She brought out a hand in front of her. For a moment she just stared, almost wondering at her own hesitation. With a frown she pulled it on. (Across from her, Sarugaki's eyes narrowed into slits.)

The two summoned their Shikai without a word. Sarugaki's giant serrated meat clearer didn't really surprise Rukia. She'd almost expected it, considering the girl's temperament.

Sarugaki attacked first slicing down using the full weight of her Shikai, kicking up dust when Rukia dodged right and it impacted with the ground. The Visored's recovery time was quick, though, the girl throwing up more dirt as she slashed up and outwards with considerable speed. Without her Hohō practice Rukia might not have been able to dodge that one.

Silently thanking Mashiro she jumped back and out of range tossing a Next Dance Sarugaki's way and watching as the girl dodged up landing on air and dashing forward to meet Rukia head on. They collided heavily, Rukia stumbling and then wincing as she noticed the cracks in her mask already beginning to form.

The Substitute broke away quickly, slicing at Sarugaki's side and stumbling once more when the girl blurred away reappearing right in front of Rukia, pommel of her sword coming down before Rukia even had time to react.

 _CRACK!_

In the next moment Rukia was on her back, the broken remains of her mask around her head like some gross parody of a halo. One glance down and she saw Sarugaki's blade at her throat. One glance up and she saw that Sarugaki was not very happy.

"That was pathetic!" In anger the Visored tore off her mask. Below her Rukia closed her eyes, utterly mortified.

Still… "I'm trying, it's just–"

"That didn't look like trying! Where the fuck is the girl that almost killed the Captain Commander, huh?!"

Rukia shoved the sword aside, bolting up. "I don't know!" she yelled.

"Then fucking find her! You have a mask! You have a Bankai! Use them! Wipe the floor with me, or at least get your head out of your ass!"

"SHUT UP!"

Rukia stood, panting with the effort. Sarugaki stared at her, challengingly.

"You think I don't know that!" Rukia continued. "I got all the stupid power-ups, made the shitty deal, and _I still lost!_ "

"Yeah," Sarugaki scoffed, "and how does that make you feel?!"

"It pisses me off!"

Then, Sarugaki did the oddest thing. She smirked at Rukia. " _Use that_. It's just like you said. You made the deal. March right up to that Hollow and Zanpakuto of yours and demand better. Work your ass off if you have to. Just stop moping."

With that Sarugaki turned away. She deactivated her Shikai, sheathed her sword behind her and began walking away. In the meantime Rukia was almost shocked. Had Sarugaki just… given Rukia a pep talk?

"Hey!" she called suddenly. The girl grunted in response, turning. Rukia took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she was doing this. "You… seem to have a pretty good handle on your Hollow. How did you do it?" Because her's still seemed to want to kill her.

"I talked," she said with a raised eyebrow, "what else?"

It wasn't the answer Rukia was expecting, that was sure. Then again, Rose had said something about that, hadn't he?

"Oh, I tried to fight it," Sarugaki continued, "dozens of times, actually, but sooner or later I ended up being the last one without any control, and it pissed me off, so I decided, hey, it's worth a shot."

Sarugaki turned back walking towards the door, but her hand lingered on the knob.

"She's… not so bad, really," she said without turning. "She's still a bitch, but she's not awful. I just thought you'd want to know that."

She left, then, leaving Rukia alone in the back lot with plenty to consider. _Demand more, huh?_

Rukia sat down, right then and there, legs crossed, Zanpakuto placed on her lap. She closed her eyes.

She opened them to the frozen lake.

"I was wondering when you'd be back," Sode said with a wry smile. With her own heavy frown Rukia stood up, facing the Spirit.

"I probably don't have to tell you how things have been, do I?"

"No, you don't."

Rukia glanced down at Sode's reflection. It was clouded over, no Hollow in sight. Sode followed her line of sight, brow furrowing.

"She's been quiet," the Spirit said. "I think she's sulking."

That would make two of them.

"I think I made a mistake," Rukia finally said. "I should have found a way to work with the Hollow, not do _this_."

Her Zanpakuto Spirit hummed. "Perhaps, but I can't say I would have done different. She went too far, and if she doesn't realize that, it's her problem."

Suddenly, Rukia felt a prick behind her eyes, saw a bit of black leak into Sode's sclera. Great, the Hollow was still listening.

"Oh, quiet, you," Sode hissed. "It's the truth." The black faded from her eyes, then, and looking at Rukia with a certain weariness she said, "I assume you didn't come here for a therapy session, though."

"I didn't," Rukia agreed. "I came here because I wanted to get better. My Bankai, my Mask, heck even my Shikai could use some work."

"I should be able to help with that," Sode said, pleased. "That and your confidence. I haven't seen you this shaken since before Kenpachi."

"Hey, it's been a tough month," Rukia said with a half smile.

"That might be putting it lightly."

The two looked at each other then, bursting into laughter.

Rukia couldn't quite explain it, but she felt lighter, somehow. She summoned her sword.

"No time like the present," she said.

"How did that crass Visored girl put it?" Sode asked, pale finger to her chin. "I'll be 'working your ass off?'"

"Tch, you'd better."

Part IV

By the time Rukia walked out of the hideout, she looked bone tired, or at least that's what Renji thought.

She'd slipped him the address a few days ago, but really he hadn't thought to use it, not until now, at least. He had something to tell her now, something that he didn't have the courage to tell her during school.

He had tried after, but she'd walked out so quickly that he hadn't had the chance.

So, here he was, having waited like an hour just to tell her his shitty news. _God, he hoped this went well._

"Renji?" she asked, surprised. A hint of a smile was on her face. She was in a good mood. This might not be a disaster.

"Hey," he answered back, standing up from his awkward seat on the curb. "I thought we could hang out a bit, like old times, no Hollows."

"Don't even say it," she said with a grimace. "You'll summon one by accident." He sent her a grin.

They wandered a bit, then, taking the longest possible way to their homes, the one that involved them stopping at about three book stores, five food stands, and a fountain. During this walk they talked about nothing in particular: test scores, family stuff, those kinds of things.

Around the third bookstore, while Rukia was considering buying the second volume of _Cardcaptor Sakura_ (and huh, he didn't even know she owned the _first_ volume) he decided to slide in his news, not being nearly as smooth as he would have liked.

"I talked to Ichigo, today," Renji rushed out.

Rukia froze for a moment. "Oh," she said. She closed the book, putting it back on the shelf.

"Yeah," he said, inwardly panicking, "I guess he's going back to the Soul Society tomorrow. They're worried about another invasion and all, so he'll be tied up for a while trying to sort things out with them."

"That's… alright, I guess," she said hesitantly. "I mean, it kind of sucks that he didn't get to visit for very long, but if he has things to do…"

"He… offered to take me with him."

Rukia's eyes widened. "Really?"

Renji nodded solemnly. "I had told him about yesterday, how much I hated it all. I'd be dead if Orihime hadn't come along. Heck, I wasn't even able to do much to help her. Somehow… Well, I've been feeling a little left behind, you know. I told him I wanted to get better, so he offered to help me train."

He tried to be nonchalant about it all, but could tell he failed. He was just too worried. What if Rukia thought he was abandoning her, especially now when it seemed like she needed someone?

He knew whatever was going on with her Hollow had shaken her, and that suddenly getting her ass handed to her so many times in a row hadn't really helped, but damn, he wasn't good at dealing with that kind of stuff. Without their usual hangout times he couldn't even make a decent effort at distracting her from it.

So, basically, he felt useless in more ways than one and desperately needed some way to _not_.

"What's that look for?" she asked with a sideways glance.

"Wh-what look?"

She stared at him for a moment, then clicked her tongue, annoyed. "You thought I was going to burst into tears, didn't you?" she accused. He shrunk back. "Well, I'm not. It's fine. _I understand_. You want to take some time off and train. What do you think I've been doing this whole time, dummy?"

"Hey!" he yelped. "I was concerned! I was trying to be supportive, like a _good friend!_ "

"Excuse me… kids?" the store manager said quietly from the front. "Please keep it down, or I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Sorry," Rukia said quickly, elbowing Renji in the side with a quick glare. "It won't happen again."

Renji frowned. _No, he wasn't pouting._

"I know you're trying to be a good friend," Rukia said, quieter. "You always have been. So, do this for yourself, okay? Go test out those new tattoos or something. Get back into the fight."

Shoving his hands quickly into his pockets, Renji suppressed a smile. "…Thanks."

" _And_ when you come back, how about you show me them, finally."

"Me?" he scoffed. "How about you show me that Hollow mask of yours. It's literally the most badass thing ever and you've been holding out on me."

"Then it's a deal," she decided, sticking out her hand. "You do your training, come back, we impress and dazzle each other with whatever we've learned."

"Deal," he said resolutely, shaking it.

With that, Rukia glanced back at the book, picked it up again, and bought it at the cash register. They walked out, the store manager looking incredibly grateful.

"Since when do you read manga?" Renji asked with a smirk.

Unexpectedly she let out an exasperated sigh. "It's a Visored thing."

That made absolutely no sense to him, but okay.

"How are you going to explain this to your mom, anyway?" Rukia asked. "Going away for the summer is one thing. You're literally leaving two weeks into school."

"Well… You know…" He scratched the back of his neck, trying to think fast. "I'll just make something up."

"Renji," Rukia said seriously. "You're a horrible liar. How the heck are you going to convince your mom…" She paused, looked up at him. Her eyes narrowed, and then they became as wide as saucers. "She knows!"

"She got suspicious!" Renji spilled. "I _had_ to tell her!"

"I…!" Rukia lowered her gaze, pouting at the ground. "I'm actually kind of jealous. Brother called me like ten times last night because he thought I was out partying with Matsumoto or something."

"Rough," he said, and it wasn't just about the calls. He felt kinda lucky that he didn't end up with a Shinigami house guest. Even Keigo somehow ended up with _two._

"I know," she groaned. Then, she looked up to the crosswalk, a sigh escaping. "…I guess this is goodbye, huh?"

"See you later," he corrected. She rolled her eyes.

"See you later," she repeated, and she walked away.

He only lingered for a moment before he was turning the other way, feeling determination rise in his chest. He'd get back to the fight, alright. The Arrancar wouldn't know what hit them.

Part V

 _Last Night_

"Welcome home, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow glared up at Aizen, the Shinigami sitting pretty on his little throne. He, in the meantime, was bleeding, his hand was frozen solid, and he was more than ready to get whatever the hell "Lord Aizen" had planned fucking over with.

"Is there anything you have to say for yourself?" Tōsen asked, the overly serious bastard.

"Nope."

The immediate scowl he got from the blind Shinigami almost had him cracking a smile. "You bastard," the man growled, his Zanpakuto already out.

"Kaname," Aizen said steadily, hand raised, "it's alright. I'm not upset."

Whatever smile hint of a smile Grimmjow had dropped.

"Lord Aizen, I–!" Tōsen was cut off by a single look.

"I believe Grimmjow's actions were indicative of his desire to serve," Aizen said, gazing down carefully at the Arrancar. "Isn't that so, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow responded with a glare. He was cornered, and he knew it. He had one good hand, no Fracción, and was surrounded by a room chock full of people that would eat him alive if it meant getting on Aizen's good side.

So, teeth grit and physical force exerted to _not_ draw his own sword, he said, "That's right, Lord Aizen."

Tōsen grabbed him by the collar jerking him by his bad side and giving him the hardest glare he could.

"…What the hell are you doing?" Grimmjow growled out.

"Lord Aizen! Allow me to execute this Arrancar!"

"…Kaname," Aizen sighed.

Grimmjow let out a laugh. "You got a grudge against me or something, Tōsen. You heard Aizen. I did it out of loyalty."

"And you sow discord as a result," he snapped back. "I do not believe Lord Aizen should have to tolerate one such as you."

"Your point?" Grimmjow asked dangerously.

Tōsen's grip on his Zanpakuto tightened. "You are correct Grimmjow. I do not like you. You are a man without a cause, and justice with no cause begets nothing but slaughter."

 _What the hell was he going on about, now?_

"However, slaughter with cause… is justice."

He moved then, sword swinging, and before Grimmjow even had time to react his bad arm had fallen to the floor severed below the shoulder.

He screamed.

"YOU BASTARD!" Grimmjow roared. Tōsen burned his arm to nothing with a Kidō spell for good measure. "I'll fucking kill you!"

Blinded by pain and rage he didn't care who the fuck was here. He was killing this guy and no one could stop hi–

"Stop, Grimmjow," Aizen said.

Exactly one person… could stop him. Grimmjow stayed his hand, clamping it down onto his stump.

"If you were to attack Tōsen, I'm afraid I would no longer be able to pardon you," Aizen explained.

Grimmjow growled at him but did nothing else. That cold look Aizen was giving him… He wasn't bluffing. So, Grimmjow grit his teeth once more, stifled any sounds of pain and turned away, just _knowing_ that this would not be the end of it.

He hated Shinigami.

* * *

 **There's a lot of fun things in this one. For those of you that wanted more Arrancar stuff, we got that. For those of you that were looking forward to the Byakuya drama bomb we're starting to get that. I knew from pretty much the beginning that I wanted to really get into his history, a history that I kind of allude to in this chapter, and for me to do that well, it needed to be a slow burn. Interludes will be utilized for this, definitely, but for now I had a lot of fun using Matsumoto for this little bit. She's a character that's a ton of fun, that sadly won't get a ton of screen time in this fic (despite my own attempts.)**

 **Have any particular theories? Have your thoughts on what might happen changed? Feel free to tell me in the comments. They give me life!**


	43. XLIII

**I'm on a mission. A mission to stop this fandom meme that all Bleach dads are bad dads. Isshin was the prologue. With this the feature presentation can begin.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Part I

The classroom clock ticked on, Uryuu nervously drumming his fingers to its beat. He'd tried to calm his breathing, to just look ahead and focus. It didn't work.

All the Quincy could see were the four "transfer students," Orikasa's eagerness to go to her training, the fact that Abarai wasn't even _there–_

 _Briiing!_

He stood up silently, shoving his schoolbooks into his bag and marching towards the door. He ignored the looks at his back.

He was frustrated, okay? Even he was willing to admit that. Practically everyone around him was training, bettering themselves, and preparing for this brewing war. He, in the meantime, was struggling to even reach the starting line.

He hadn't gotten his powers back. In fact, he hadn't gotten even close. Hundreds of years of Quincy wisdom at his fingertips, and somehow there wasn't so much as a paragraph on how he was supposed to regain his powers.

Well, Uryuu was tired of waiting, and he'd gotten tired of looking a while ago. He had a perfectly viable option staring him right in the face, just waiting to be used. Of course, he'd been dragging his feet on this one, and for good reason. Even thinking about it had him grimacing.

There was the distinct possibility that his… father _(ugh)_ knew something that Uryuu didn't, or at the very least had some tomes that he didn't. It was a worth a shot, anyway, a desperate, last resort shot.

( _God_ , here Uryuu was, so desperate to not get left behind that he felt the need to come crawling back to the one person he'd jumped through hoops to avoid these last few months. He felt pathetic.

(When people asked him why he lived in an apartment alone while his father still lived in Karakura town he'd give them one answer. _"It was closer to school."_ Most didn't buy it, however, so he quickly stopped answering the question entirely, which he was able to get away with, more or less. It was yet another perk of being unpopular, he supposed.

(The truth, however, was a little harder to explain to just anyone, and that was this: If he'd spent even one more moment living at home he would have gone insane. His father felt the same, the only thing they'd agreed upon in years. So, Uryuu left, and his life finally gained some semblance of peace.

(Never mind how barely a month later he picked a misguided rage filled fight with the first Shinigami he'd laid eyes upon…)

Uryuu walked right past his apartment and towards the _nice_ part of town. His father's home was beyond the town center, just past the park, and barely one neighborhood over from the Orikasa residence. It was a long walk and Uryuu used every one of those aforementioned places to make it even longer.

He browsed a rack of shirts that were on clearance and bought nothing. He took a leisurely walk through the trees. He… almost stopped at the Orikasa residence before walking straight past. There was a decent chance no one was home, anyway.

He sure hoped Ryuuken wouldn't be home. It was then, _of course,_ that he spotted a new looking silver car in his father's driveway.

 _Dammit!_

His father's home was modern, large, and had a well kept front yard that was probably the envy of his neighbors. Uryuu thought it was an eyesore.

For a moment, Uryuu just stood there on the sidewalk, lingering. Ryuuken wasn't as "retired" as Uryuu had first thought, so it was likely that he already knew Uryuu was there. The man called his son a fool just about every chance he got. Uryuu didn't want to give him a reason to call him a coward.

Uryuu took a deep breath. He walked to the door, knocked twice, and waited, arms crossed. Barely a second later the door opened.

"Really, Uryuu?" was the first thing out of the man's mouth. He leaned nonchalantly against the doorway, a half smoked cigarette in his hand. "It took you this long to swallow your pride and ask me for help?"

Uryuu held back his retort. Don't rise to the bait. _Don't rise to the bait!_

" _You're_ going to lecture me on pride?" he snapped out. _Dammit!_

His father took a deep drag of his cigarette, visibly annoyed. "Get in," he said, stepping away from the door. "You know where the shoes go."

He followed Ryuuken into the house and towards his office. The home was pristine, much cleaner than he ever remembered it being. It was like no one lived here at all.

Stepping into the office, Uryuu felt his anxiety spike. This office still did that to him. He didn't know why. He watched as his father stubbed out his cigarette in an overfull ashtray.

Ryuuken leaned against his desk, and turned to his son, eyebrow raised, waiting. Great, the bastard was going to make him say it.

Uryuu swallowed. "…Do you know how to restore a Quincy's powers?"

"Yes."

Uryuu's heart stuttered.

"Juvenile powers like yours are quite easy to restore," the man continued, "and the process should be even easier considering you are my so–"

"Excuse me?!" Uryuu yelled. "You could fix it this whole time and you didn't say anything?"

Ryuuken's eyes narrowed. "Would it have mattered? If you didn't think I could do it you wouldn't be here. Besides, I assumed you would not like my conditions."

"Conditions," Uryuu spat out.

"Yes, 'conditions.' I can restore your powers to you in a matter of days, but first you must promise me something."

Looking up at him with a grimace, Uryuu knew this wouldn't be good.

"You will stop associating with Shinigami."

Uryuu's heart actually _stops,_ then.

"I…" he started, "you _know_ I can't keep that promise."

"Those are my conditions."

"Of course, they are!" Uryuu barked. "Why? And don't start spouting crap to me about the 'Quincy Separatist Tradition.'"

"I don't have to explain myself to you," he said simply. "If I had my way, I'd wipe my hands of this whole affair. You're lucky I'm offering at all." With the he headed to the door, opened it and stood by. "Take it or leave it."

Fuming, Uryuu stayed stubbornly in place. With a frustrated sigh Ryuuken let go of the door, stepping out into the hall.

"Such emotion, and all for a few Shinigami," Ryuuken said. "You're a Quincy, aren't you? The choice shouldn't be hard."

"What would you know about being a Quincy?" Uryuu bit out. He, expectedly, got no answer. A growl escaping him he chased after the man through the hall. "You haven't been one for as long as I've been alive! You were too busy sitting in your office and yelling at Grandpa!" He followed him into the kitchen, dodging around the counter, still getting nothing from the man. His anger reached a fever pitch. "Why the hell did he leave his bow to someone like you?!"

His father stopped, and Uryuu just about deflated. That… might have been a step too far.

Ryuuken still wasn't looking at him. His back was to the boy. He was silent. It was unnerving.

Uryuu moved past it, or moved past _him_ to be more accurate. Fists balled he went to the door feeling worse than he had before.

"I'll find my own way," he said over his shoulder "Sorry for bothering you."

The sound of clanking keys interrupted him.

" _Fine…_ " Ryuuken said in a low voice. "I'll do it."

Genuine shock coursed through Uryuu. He really couldn't believe his ears.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" his father asked. "Go to the car. I'll meet you in a minute."

His father retreated back into the house, then, keys in hand, leaving Uryuu utterly dazed. He headed to the driveway wondering just what Ryuuken was thinking.

Part II

With a heavy frown on her face, Rukia watched as Ishida ran out of the door. He looked even more agitated than usual.

"What's his problem?" Keigo asked with a grimace.

Rukia's eyes lingered on the door, ignoring the indignant noise the teacher made as it was slammed. "He's been having a tough time, I think," she answered. "A lot happened in the…" she took a glance around the room, " _you know._ "

"Uh… Rukia?" Keigo said flatly. "I'm not Renji. I can't read your mind."

Rukia made an interesting noise at that.

"She means the Soul Society," Ayasegawa said, passing by. Madarame trailed behind him, nearly bandage free. _"Honestly,"_ he muttered to himself, heading towards the door. Rukia cracked a shaky smile. There was never a dull moment with Shinigami around.

"Okay, _that,_ " Keigo stressed.

"I… probably don't have to tell you that Ishida's not the talking type, right?" Rukia asked carefully, gathering her things.

"Not unless he's saying something sarcastic," Keigo corrected, shouldering his own bag. Rukia rolled her eyes.

"If I just walked up and asked him what was wrong he probably wouldn't take me seriously," she finally said. "The only one that would have any chance at getting through to him is Renji, and he seems to think that the best way to deal with this it giving Ishida the time to 'figure shit out.'"

"I guess that makes sense," Keigo said with a shrug.

"Really?" she asked incredulously. She let out a sigh. "Guys."

The two left, chatting stiffly until they reached the school gate, parting ways. Rukia had plenty of work to do with Sode no Shirayuki and Ushōda. (She hoped whatever work Ishida was doing would help him, too.)

Part III

" _To be among such natural beauty, to meditate and grow while surrounded by the wonders of the world, I believe there is no greater joy."_

It was something Sōken had told Uryuu long ago. He'd followed it directly with the words, "Though, I may just be getting sentimental in my old age."

The first thing Uryuu had asked after hearing that was "what does 'sentimental' mean." The second was an enthusiastic endorsement followed swiftly by, "If that's true, then I want to be old, too!" his grandfather had fondly said that one day he would be, he could count on that.

Sōken loved that hideout. He cherished the place, holding it close to his heart, even when it made him sad. For those reasons, Uryuu didn't remember the place Ryuuken had driven him to, or at least not at first.

It looked like a cross between a low-rise office building and a steel bunker, right at the edge of town on a shady isolated lot. Eventually, Uryuu recognized it as the second Quincy hideout.

"This is still here?" he asked, awed.

"Of course it is," his father said flatly. "I spend a decent sum every month to keep it that way."

Uryuu nearly tripped over himself leaving the car the second it parked. He opened the building's door to large swathes of space and tinted glass walls. Stepping inside, he made a beeline for the storage area. All of the ancient weapons were lined across the walls neatly, though they were a bit dusty. In the the shelves below were countless books and scrolls, the spines containing text in Japanese, English, and even the original German.

"It's all still here," Uryuu gaped. He looked back to his father, only to see him adjust the Quincy Cross at his wrist, eyes averted.

"We're going to train," Ryuuken said simply.

"…I don't have a bow," Uryuu admitted slowly. He probably wouldn't be able to use a standard bow in his condition, anyway. He glanced back into the storage. It was possible there was an old training bow in here…

Before he had the chance to look a Quincy arrow flew by his face, knocking off a lock of hair and embedding into the wall across from him, dissipating as it hit. He spun around, saw Ryuuken readying another arrow, and darted behind the door, holding it in front of him like a shield. He jerked back when it bent inwards, smoking. He ran away.

"What the hell?!" he yelled over his shoulder.

"I did say we'd be training, didn't I?" his father asked with a raised eyebrow. He fired another arrow.

Uryuu dodged right, tumbling to the ground, cursing himself for not bringing any viable weapons. He should have seen this coming!

(How could he have? Uryuu never knew what his father was going to do next, what he was thinking. The man was damn near impossible to read.)

He jumped when he felt an arrow careening towards his feet, nearly tripped over a knee-high outcropping, and tumbled behind it to protect himself against another blast that had the concrete trembling under Uryuu's hands. It was as if the man was trying to kill him.

Stumbling up, Uryuu ran heading for a place that had a little more cover, a maze-like series of walls used for obstacle training. He glanced back at his father, and in that moment realized that, no, the man wasn't trying to kill him. It was the exact opposite, actually.

Ryuuken's face was blank, arm outstretched in perfect form as he aimed gracefully, arrow impacting a pillar behind Uryuu. He looked every bit of the perfect Quincy that Uryuu tried so hard to be. He was poised, calculated, and dressed in white he cut quite the imposing figure.

He also looked distinctly bored, steadily following Uryuu with his arrows, the only close calls being a result of Uryuu's own stumbling.

What on earth was this man getting at?

Uryuu grabbed the edge of the first wall the second it was within reach, planning to swing around it, only for it to get shattered into rubble by another arrow.

Oh, yeah. It didn't matter what his father was getting at. He was a crazy person.

The man kept going, too, until the sun set and the only lights left in the building were the cold artificial ones from above. By then, Uryuu was panting, exhausted, every other move ending in a stumble. Somehow, Ryuuken managed to make the grueling training of Letz Stil look easy in the span of a few hours.

An arrow came for Uryuu's head, the boy dodging down, though his intended graceful fall became more of a painful sprawl onto the concrete. He scrambled up, anticipating another arrow, only to notice his father adjusting his glasses, slipping his Quincy Cross back into his coat.

"I'm leaving for dinner," Ryuuken said. "We'll continue until midnight after I return. Clean yourself up in the meantime."

"…I… have… school," Uryuu panted out.

"I'll tell them your sick." With that, he left, barely sparing a glance.

Uryuu immediately regretted not coming up with some petty response the moment the door closed on him. He instead had to settle for angry grumbles as he dragged himself fully to his feet, inspecting his scraped hands. He wondered if there was a first aid kit in here, one that wasn't a hundred years old, anyway.

A bit of searching and he found that there was. It was shoved back on one of the shelves, dusty, and looking like it may have been about _ten_ years old. Lucky for him, bandaids don't expire.

He found a decent bathroom in the back, one with running water and everything, and he "cleaned himself up," splashing water on his face and scrapes, knowing full well that his sweat soaked… everything else, would have to wait until he got back to his apartment.

Back to his apartment…

If all went well, he'd go back to his apartment a real Quincy again. He'd never admit it out loud, but he was starting to think such a thing was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Splashing his face once again, Uryuu shook his head, water splattering out from his unkempt hair. He didn't have time to do _this_. He needed to find something in that shed that he could actually use. For as good of a runner as he was, he doubted he could last until midnight empty handed.

He made a beeline for a spell book that he somewhat recognized, only to let out an immediate groan. He had a copy of this book back in his apartment in the original German. Damn, he'd been working on translating it for the better part of a year and it was just _here_ in Japanese.

Cracking it open, he flipped to the offensive spells. It was doubtful he'd get to try them today, but with a few Gintō filled steadily overnight he'd have a good chance at tomorrow.

This was going to be a long couple of days.

Part IV

When through Kukaku's terrifying video phone Ichigo told Renji that they were to meet at the temple just outside of Karakura town, Renji thought he might be joking. Then, he remembered that Ichigo didn't joke and with a groan loudly asked his mom where his old backpack was.

He stuffed a few essentials inside, hooked Rukia's combat pass to the handle like some gaudy charm, and barely ten hours later he was trekking up the stone steps to the temple, getting side eyed by the sweeping monk that probably thought he was here to graffiti the place.

Whatever, he thought. It was too early for this shit. In fact, it was the asscrack of dawn. He probably should have remembered that the Gotei Thirteen were the Spirit military or something. Maybe, then, the schedule wouldn't have surprised him.

"You're late," he heard, anyway.

Renji frowned at the Shinigami, the man leaning casually against the activated portal behind him. He was smirking.

"Hey, if you want me to be on time, try giving me one," Renji snapped back. "None of this 'meet me at sunrise' bullshit."

With a heavy roll of his eyes Ichigo turned back to the portal, hand moving through as if to draw back a curtain. "It's the Soul Society," he said. "We don't exactly have digital watches." The Shinigami stepped inside disappearing. Scoffing, Renji followed.

The Senkaimon didn't look much different this time around, Renji thought. The walls were still goopy, slime still seeped into his sneakers, and it still smelled like rotten onions. There was a distinct lack of a murderous presence in the air, however, something that was highly appreciated.

Not having to run for your life helped, too.

"I should probably warn you," Ichigo started, a slight echo going off the walls. "The life of a Lieutenant's a busy one. I won't be with you to train twenty-four seven, but I'll be there when I can."

"So, what?" Renji asked. An odd noise sounded from just behind them, sending an involuntary shiver down Renji's spine. He walked a little faster. "A-am I supposed to just wander around while you're doing Lieutenant stuff."

"Yeah, if you want," Ichigo said with a shrug. "My Captain should be in while I'm not, though. He tends to like the company."

"Captain…" Renji thought aloud. "White hair? Kind of sickly looking?" His name was Ukitake, right?

Ichigo barked out a laugh. "That's the one. The same one that gave Rukia the Combat Pass." He side eyed its appearance at Renji's back, a smirk crawling on his face.

"Hey, what the hell was that look?" Renji snapped.

"Oh, it's nothing," Ichigo assured, "just that you've got a giant dumb crush on Rukia."

Renji stopped in his tracks in this absolute death trap of a portal, stuttering.

"I-I… Uh… W-well…"

"Ha! That proves it!"

"Shut up!" Renji yelled, running ahead to catch up. "W-what would you know?!"

"That you should tell her, dumbass," Ichigo snorted.

"B-but!" Renji let out a growl of frustration. "Maybe it's different in Shinigami land, but on Earth you can't just go out and say those things!"

"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo drawled out, stopping in front of the lit exit. "Come back to me when you've grown a pair. Besides, I'm pretty sure she loves you back."

" _Wait, what?"_

The two left the pathway, Renji completely off balance. They stepped into a tranquil garden, bright morning skies hanging above. There was a sparkling koi pond, tall grass arranged around it just so, and a large tree looming above it all, shade extending to the rooftops. Under that shade stood Captain Ukitake who had a smile on his face the second he saw them, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

"It's good to see you've arrived safely," the man said. "The Senkaimon can sometimes react strangely to outsiders."

Renji's brain stuttered back to life (looking for _something, anything else_ to think about) just in time to send a suspicious glance Ichigo's way. He never warned him about that!

"Like he said," Ichigo responded calmly under the pressure, "we came back safely." He then focused back on his Captain, dodging Renji's ire like a seasoned pro. "Has anything come in while I was gone?"

Ukitake tutted, "You were barely away for half an hour. I doubt that something would have come in so soon."

"Ichigo!" a goateed officer cried out from the corner. "There's–!" He was cut off by a petite female officer shoving him aside.

"Lieutenant Sasakibe just called for a Lieutenant's meeting. he wants to–" She was cut off by the man clapping a hand over her mouth, muffling the rest of her words.

"He wants you to speak on taking the responsibilities of a Captain," he rushed out. He then let out a loud curse as the woman stomped down on his foot _hard_.

"That's… about it, actually," she finished. She sounded disappointed.

"I supposed I spoke to soon," Ukitake said with a laugh. Ichigo just groaned.

"See," he sighed out to Renji. "Give me about two hours. Chōjirō's meetings always go on forever. I'll be back to kick your ass, then."

"Those are big words coming from a paper pusher," Renji quipped.

Ichigo responded with a shark like grin, running off to the front and out of sight.

"Well, that ruins my chances of sitting you both down for tea, today," Ukitake said fondly. "You will still join me though, won't you?"

It took Renji a moment to even realize that the Captain was talking to him. "Uh… me?"

"Yes, you," the man insisted kindly. "Training trip or not, you are our guest. Sentarō, Kiyone, if you would…"

"Jasmine!" "The usual room, sir?" the two yelled over each other. Matching glares passed between them.

"…Yes," Ukitake said, smile strained. The officers hurried off, trying to outpace each other. "They mean well," he explained to Renji. "They're just a bit… enthusiastic!"

"I can see that," Renji said flatly. Ukitake let out a laugh.

"Follow me."

The man led Renji to what looked like a study. A low table with an intimidating pile of folders and papers on top was pressed against a window outlooking a flower garden. In the center of the room was a round table, well used cushions arranged around it, a bowl of watermelon candies on top.

"Please sit," Ukitake politely urged, "they shouldn't be long."

Renji did, fingers drumming against his knees… Why did he feel so awkward?

(That might have just been Ichigo's words messing with him, echoing in his hea–)

 _No, no, no I'm not going there._

The feeling didn't improve when barely a minute later Kiyone came bursting in with a fresh pot of tea, Sentarō behind her looking incredibly frustrated. The Captain waved them off with a thank you and a smile, insisting on serving the tea himself.

The man may have had the demeanor of a friendly uncle, but he had the looks of a classical painting, something that Renji found a little intimidating. There was something oddly perfect about the way he looked, even while just serving tea. The delicate hold of his hands, the fall of his hair as he went through the practiced motions had him silent.

(It didn't leave him with the same feeling as Rukia did just tossing him a soda from her fridge, a cola, his favorite; she didn't even have to ask.)

 _I said I wasn't going there!_

Renji felt mildly better when holding his cup, offering a thank you of his own before taking a cautious sip.

"So…" the teenager tried, "you wanted to talk to me?" _Why_ , he thought.

"I did," he said matter-of-factly. "I wanted to formally thank you for saving my Lieutenant."

Renji tried to hold down a blush, taking a strategic sip. "It was no big deal. You know Ichigo. He would have done the same for us." Besides he had to make sure a certain _someone_ didn't get herself killed storming the Soul Society on her own.

"I suppose he would have." Ukitake took a deep sip of his own, a contented look on his face as he inhaled the scent of the brew.

It was then that Renji felt himself finally relax, thought that might have just been the tea.

"May I ask you something?"

Renji nodded.

"If you were to advise your friends against joining the war, would they listen to you?"

"…Excuse me?" Renji must have misheard him.

"I'm getting ahead of myself," Ukitake corrected. "Would you be willing to stay out of this war?"

Renji blinked up at the man. He would have surprised the high schooler less if he'd dumped his tea on him.

He continued, "It's just… you're all still kids. You shouldn't be involving yourselves in this. I'm barely comfortable with Ichigo getting dragged into this."

"I'm pretty sure some of us are gonna be in this one whether I like it or not," Renji finally said. Ukitake sent a glance to his bag.

"Yes, Miss Orikasa." Ukitake cleared his throat. "She won't be short of protection, I assure you."

"It's not about that," Renji said. "I know Aizen's targeting her or whatever, but Rukia would be sticking her nose into this whether he was or not. Whatever happened on Sōkyoku Hill, she took it personally, same with Ishida, and no offense, but there's no way in hell I'm letting them go in without me. They're my friends."

"…I see." Ukitake took another long sip of his tea, a distant look in his eyes. "This generation sure is something else."

They finished their tea in silence after that, the pot quickly emptying. With his last cup done and a few candy wrappers littering the table, Ukitake stood up, stretching out his back in a deliberate motion.

"It's time I start my work for the day," he said. "Sentarō and Kiyone, ca–"

The door cracked open, two heads popping in, one on top of the other.

"They can escort you to your room," the Captain continued, not missing a beat. Renji stood up, already tuning out the two's bickering as he headed towards the door.

"It was good tea," he said over his shoulder. Ukitake gave him a genuine smile.

"Feel free to stop by anytime… Oh! And one more thing." Renji stopped in the doorway. "Ichigo can be quite the sparring partner. Good luck!"

Renji gulped, accepting the warning with a nod as he was led out of the room.

A few minutes later and he was alone with his thoughts in a traditional guest room. He tried his hardest, but…

 _Great… I guess I'm going there!_

Ichigo thought Rukia liked him back?!

 _Well, no,_ that wasn't really the word he had used. He'd said Rukia loved him, something that Renji found about fifty times more terrifying.

It wasn't the thought of Rukia loving him on its own that scared him, no, no, no. It was the idea that now that he knew (or he at least hoped he knew, that Ichigo wasn't somehow mistaken)…

 _Shit, I guess I have to do something about it, don't I?_

Renji stood up, and began pacing the room.

There were a few routes he could take, here. He could go traditional, stick a note in her locker, and try his hand at a confession. He could go nonchalant and kind of just blurt it out one day when they're hanging out. He could also continue to waffle around for a while longer and say nothing out of fear of rejection.

(That last one sounded stupid, even to him, but the cowardly side of him clung to it like a lifeline.)

 _Fuck the cowardly side of me! I should just… just…!_

Renji was going to do it. He decided right then and there. When he showed her his new skills, when he finally saw her mask he would say it.

Part V

"Here," Ryuuken said tersely. He was holding out a takeout bag.

This made Uryuu feel rather silly, crouched behind a pillar, scrawled notes of spells shoved in his pocket and feeling ready for anything. Warily, he crawled from his hiding spot, taking quick steps to his father and snatching the bag out of his hands.

Inside he found a sealed plastic bowl, warm to the touch. It was ramen and good stuff from the looks of it. Taking out the chopsticks and spoon he found a decent spot (a decent distance away) and started eating, cherishing it while he still had the time.

Through his slightly hazy glasses he glanced at his father, the man leaning against a wall and drinking a canned beer without looking at anything in particular. He'd ditched his white jacket and silver tie, the lilac sleeves of his shirt rolled up. He looked as casual as Uryuu believed he was capable.

"…Why?" Uryuu eventually asked after swallowing down the salty noodles.

"Hm?" Ryuuken sounded.

"Why… the change of heart?" Uryuu clarified. "You don't get those."

Ryuuken stayed silent, taking a long sip of his beer.

"I'm not an idiot," Uryuu continued. "I know _you know_ why I'm here."

"Really? You're not an idiot, now?" Ryuuken asked sarcastically. Uryuu bit back whatever he was going to say in retaliation, giving the man the opportunity to continue. "Shinigami fighting amongst themselves is nothing new. Your insistence to fight with them, just because you happen to go to school with one, is more than idiocy. You're acting like a needy child."

"Oh," Uryuu snapped, "I'm friends with a few so that automatically means I'm doing this just to impress them, to stay on their good side."

"I never said that," Ryuuken said with a raised eyebrow. He took a long gulp of his beer. "And you're proving my point."

Uryuu bristled at that, attacking his ramen with a new vigor, slurping down the rest of it in record time. He roughly wiped his mouth, stood up, and said, "Let's just get back to training."

He wasn't ready for another huge fight to ruin this whole thing before it even started. He just wanted to get his powers back, go home, and go back to pretending like Ryuuken didn't exist.

Ryuuken took his empty beer can, tossed it with the bag and bowl, and readjusted the Cross on his wrist. He fired without warning.

* * *

 **This chapter makes the beginning of another mini-Hiatus. I'm going out of country again, (for my dad's birthday, funny that) and as a result the next chapter will not be here until JANUARY 11. I actually meant to tell you all last week. Whoops!**

 **And, hey, no memes here, I'd genuinely love to talk with y'all about your views on the dads of Bleach (or Renji's upcoming confession?). So… yeah… comments… give me life…**


	44. XLIV

**We end the hiatus with an Uryuu-centric chapter! Was anyone surprised? No! Quick warning for some underaged drinking.**

* * *

Part I

Uryuu _hated_ this. There was absolutely nothing worse than feeling powerless, especially in the face of his father. He was currently running at half his old speed, trying to conserve his diminished Reiryoku reserves as the training area around him cracked and burned from the force of Ryuuken's arrows only for the place to reform under the power of its own spells.

Along with the few scrapes he'd received earlier, Uryuu now had plenty additional cuts, burns, and bruises to add to his catalogue. That wasn't even mentioning the current strain in his muscles or the countless tears his uniform had suffered.

Inhaling sharply, his heart pounding, he darted out of the cover the pillar provided him, feeling more than seeing the arrow pierce through it and land solidly in the wall behind him. He dashed ahead, making his way to the most protected area his eyes could find, a sniper's nest several meters overhead. Using just a bit of Reiryoku at the base of his feet he jumped up to the ledge.

His eyes widened as the foothold beneath him gave away the second he touched down. He felt his foot slip straight through crumbled stone, the buzz of Reiatsu still in the air as he fell straight to the ground, impacting it with a loud thud.

A groan escaped his throat as he closed his eyes, turning over on his hands and knees. He felt ready to pass out right now.

(Scratch that, he felt ready to pass out nearly an hour ago.)

Ryuuken drew another arrow then, silently urging Uryuu back on his feet. Just as Uryuu began stumbling up, just as he began anticipating it being loosed, the man paused, dropping his arm and allowing the arrow to dissipate. With narrowed eyes his father scrutinized his wristwatch.

"Midnight," he said simply. "We can continue this tomorrow at sunrise."

Uryuu sat back on his hands, ignoring the unpleasant sensation of his sweaty shirt unsticking from his skin. "Sunrise," he repeated exasperatedly. "Of course, we do."

"You could always quit," the man drawled.

"You wish," Uryuu snapped back.

"As a matter of fact…" Ryuuken trailed off. Was it just Uryuu, or did the man have a hint of exhaustion in his voice? He decided he must have just imagined it when in the next breath the man was reaching for a cigarette, lighting it in one fluid motion.

 _Hypocrite, you're supposed to be a doctor._

"If you want to abandon the Quincy, that's fine," Uryuu bit out. "Don't drag me into it."

"We're really going to do this again?"

Uryuu scoffed, "Oh, _sorry_ , I forgot that talking about our heritage was such a drag for you."

"It's not," Ryuuken said casually, flicking some of his ashes into the air. "I just prefer to let the dead lie."

"Please, you're doing a lot more than that," Uryuu grumbled. "You don't want to remember them at all."

"That's what we're calling it now, chasing the legacy of a dead man? Remembering him?" The words were pointed and harsh, and they made Uryuu feel about three centimeters tall.

" _Yes._ "

Silence pervaded after that, Ryuuken not even bothering to look at Uryuu, his eyes instead were glued to the ground. He stubbed his barely smoked cigarette out on the sole of his shoes.

Uryuu closed his eyes entirely, standing up, fists clenched. He wanted to sleep, desperately. He turned towards the bathroom, intent on finding someplace to pass out at, if only to forget this whole mess for a mere few hours.

"He…" Ryuuken said suddenly, quietly, voice petering out. He turned away further. "Sōken… was going to give you the Cross. He died before he had the chance to make it official."

Uryuu stopped in his tracks feeling his heart clench at those words. When after a moment Ryuuken said no more, he walked on. He reached the bathroom, closed the door behind him and slumped against it.

He was exhausted.

Part II

"Ow, ow, ow!" Renji hissed. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Orihime giving him a sympathetic smile as she continued to clean the cuts on his neck and shoulder.

"Don't be such a baby," Ichigo huffed out, crossing his arms. It was an impressive feat considering one of Renji's spikes were lodged in the right one.

Renji remembered when Ichigo had first told him how this would go. They'd have a bit of a back and forth, try some new techniques on each other and just keep the blood pumping. It would be tough, but at the end of the day it would be _training._

Renji really should have paid more attention to how Rukia described Shinigami style "training". Then again, nothing really could have prepared him for Ichigo leading with a Getsuga Tenshō to the face.

 _Still…_

When the glow at his shoulders went out, Renji stood up, flexing his arms. "Get ready for round eight, motherfucker."

"Ay, that that's the spiri –OW!" With an apologetic smile on her face Orihime held a now dislodged spike in her hands. "Warn a guy next time!"

"If I had you would have tensed up," she said patiently, hands already glowing. Renji chuckled under his breath. She smiled back at him, though more good-naturedly.

"You know," she started, "what you two are doing really warms my heart. You're both working so hard to improve."

"You're doing the same, aren't you?" Ichigo asked with a raised eyebrow.

Orihime blushed, failing to stutter out an excuse. "W-well… you know… I…"

"Kotetsu ratted you out," he said with a smirk. "She said you've been practicing until late at night ever since you got out of the infirmary."

"You should spar with us," Renji suggested. He really wanted to see how he'd do against a Kidō user.

"Oh, practicing Kidō is a lot different from practicing with a Zanpakuto," she excused. "It wouldn't end well, trust me."

"Huh," Renji frowned. "Too bad."

Ichigo looked like he was going to add something of his own before he glanced up, noticing the sky just start to dim.

"We've been at it for longer than I thought," he said. "I think we can get one more round in, but I have to check in with Captain Ukitake real quick."

"Hurry it up, will ya?" Renji asked with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo said with a roll of eye. He disappeared into the building complex behind them.

It was after he left that Orihime asked, "You're coming back with us to the World of the Living, right? Day after tomorrow?"

Renji nodded. "I got some new techniques working that I want to try for real, and the easiest way to do that is when your opponent's really trying to kill you." As tough as Ichigo could be, he hadn't done that… yet.

"Good!" she cheered. "Then that means you can join us all for drinks tonight."

"Uh… drinks," he repeated awkwardly. Renji was sixteen. His only experience with "drinks" was that one time Ide snuck a few beers from his dad's stash. Renji had taken one sip and nearly spit it out, only finishing it after so the guys wouldn't give him a hard time for it.

"Mhm! You will come, right?"

"Y-yeah!" Renji answered a little too loudly. "I mean… that sounds cool."

"Great," she said with a grin. "I have a few duties of my own to take care of before that, though, so I have to go." She slung her supplies bag over her shoulder. "Please try not to get too injured while I'm gone, okay?"

"I'll try," he said with crooked smile, and then finally a wave. She waved back happily.

Drinks… Oh, god what had he done?

A few hours and one extended sparring session later saw Renji walking over to a rather popular Shinigami run bar. Three officers were smoking together outside. Through the darkened windows Renji could see many people just eating, drinking, and talking as they tried to unwind from a hectic workday.

Ichigo led him inside, spotting Chad and Orihime sitting at a booth. The girl waved to them excitedly.

"It's good to see you," Chad said to them both.

"We've already ordered the first round," Orihime said. "There's also a snack menu, and it's on us, Renji, so don't worry about it."

The two slid in at that, Renji relaxing by virtue of just how normal this place really seemed. Take away the uniforms and he'd swear his mom had brought him here before.

A server, this one in just a normal yukata, came by with a tray barely a moment later.

"I have one bottle of Junmai Sake," she said, placing down a ceramic set, matching cups and all, "and… an iced tea." She placed that one right in front of Renji.

"Really, Orihime?" Ichigo asked exasperatedly.

"They don't let teenagers drink in the World of the Living for a reason," she said pointedly. "His brain is still developing!"

"C'mon, let the kid live a little," he drawled back. "He's fighting with us. He should be able to drink with us." Dammit, Renji almost had an out, here! Then, turning to the waitress the Shinigami added, "We'll need one more cup, please."

"But…! He…!" Orihime tried before finally letting out a sigh. "Okay, maybe just one cup."

"There you go! If we let Tōshiro, we should be able to let Renji."

"That's not a great example," Chad said with a hint of a smile. Then, turning to Renji he explained, "Tatsuki had to drag Captain Hitsugaya home after he got drunk from just one cup."

Renji snorted at that, imagining the little ball of anger that was the tiny Captain stumbling around drunk. Then, he gulped because it certainly wasn't helping him with his own fears, here.

The waitress set his cup down in front of him. Ichigo filled it for him and almost immediately the strong smell hit Renji right in the face, not that the others seemed to notice. They were too busy holding up their glasses in a toast. Renji scrambled to follow.

"To…" Ichigo trailed off, considering. "To kicking Aizen's ass!"

A few others raised their drinks at that, and almost simultaneously everyone took a sip, including, after some hesitation, Renji.

The Sake didn't taste as bad as the beer, not by a longshot, but it was much stronger, the alcohol hitting his nose almost immediately and burning just a little as it went down. He only managed a very small sip before he set it down.

"You guys," he said suppressing a cough, "Do you guys do this a lot?"

Taking a deep satisfying sounding sip Ichigo answered, "This is a pretty recent thing, actually."

"After everything with Aizen we all realized how much we'd drifted apart," Orihime supplied. "So, we started doing this to try and catch up. Usually Tatsuki's here, too, but that mission of hers seems to be taking a while."

"That's really nice," Renji said sincerely. It was downright touching; he'd be willing to admit.

"Everyone but me has a mission right now," Chad said with a crooked smile. "I almost feel left out."

"Hey, some of us have to stay behind, or nothing will ever get done," Ichigo said with a nudge of his drink.

"I know that," Chad said, taking a sip. "Captain Komamura knows that, too. It's why he has us working overtime helping other Squads. I almost couldn't come today. I am still curious. What's the World of the Living like, now?"

"Oh, a _lot's_ changed since _we_ were last there," Ichigo said. "You almost wouldn't recognize it."

"Hey, if you have any questions, Chad, now would be a great time to ask," Orihime suggested. Motioning to Renji she said, "We have an expert right here."

Chad looked at Renji expectantly.

"I'll do my best," the Fullbringer said determinedly.

He admittedly didn't have an answer to many of their questions. He didn't really know what being in a plane was like outside of the movies, though most Tokyo related questions were a cinch for him. Still, he answered what he could and watched as the conversation drifted and progressed along with the bottle they were drinking from.

They compared Arrancar fights, talked about progress with their powers, and cracked jokes at each other's expense sharing bits of gossip that Renji took in with a smile (and occasionally a smirk).

It was a good night, Renji thought, one that he wouldn't mind repeating.

Part III

The morning started suddenly, an arrow flying past Uryuu's face waking him up faster than any alarm clock ever could.

In an instant he was dragging himself to his feet, feeling an arrow slice through his pant leg as he fought against grogginess. He ran up ahead, frustration already digging in.

"Really?!" he yelled over his shoulder. He dodged left, seeing another wiz past.

"Less talking, more dodging," Ryuuken said flatly.

"And what, _that_ will get my powers back?!"

His father stayed silent, notching another arrow. _Dammit!_

Uryuu booked it towards the nearest obstacle course, forgoing the entrance and bounding over the wall as he slipped a hand into his pocket. Good, he didn't accidentally damage the Gintō.

He had filled them overnight. It hadn't led to the most restful of sleeps, but hopefully it would be worth it. He now had three full Gintō at his disposal. That was three spells, at least.

("At most" but he was trying to stay positive, here.)

An arrow fired through the wall behind him, forcing him forward and sending him into a stumble as rubble impacted his back. For just a moment his hand loosened and one of the Gintō fell. He reached down for it, only to flinch back when another arrow pierced through the air above it. He turned and ran, abandoning it.

Two. He had two spells.

 _DAMMIT!_

It was fine, he tried to reason with himself. All that meant was that he needed to use them more carefully. With that thought he skidded to a stop just as an arrow came through right in front of him, knocking a button from his shirt.

"Try to pay more attention," his father chided.

Oh, he was. In fact, he believed he had an idea for a counterattack. He just needed the right opportunity, and now that he was thinking about it… He needed that third Gintō back, didn't he?

 _Blah, blah, dammit, blah, blah_

Now, how to get it back with his father not only watching, but forcing his every move? To him, the answer was obvious. He needed to take some risks.

He ran forward away from the path of arrows and away from the Gintō. He looked right, noticing a steep ledge he could jump down from that might provide some decent cover and probably buy him a bit of time in the process.

He ignored it, taking a sharp left, jumping up into the open on a narrow wall, running along the top. He expected the arrow aimed for the wall right below, jumping past it to keep going. He didn't expect the one that stuck his foot, sending him tumbling to the ground.

He fell behind the wall, onto his ass, his spine protesting. A second later the wall ahead of him exploded inwards. He gulped.

Barely giving it a thought, he ran through the hole, feeling an arrow graze his back. He saw his father's eyes narrow. Good, keep him guessing. He deserved a taste of his own medicine.

The training day had barely started and somehow Uryuu was already feeling tired. Judging by the sparse light outside, Ryuuken hadn't let him sleep for very long at all. It was no question that this was a part of his master plan here, but Uryuu was having trouble figuring out _how_.

He lurched forward, avoiding the arrow aimed at his head. It instead grazed the back of his neck, lopping off a lock of hair.

"So sloppy," his father complained. He fired again.

The slowly reforming rubble of the obstacle course was in Uryuu's sights. He probably had barely a second to find the Gintō once he reached there, assuming he wanted to avoid getting skewered. He ran ahead, keeping as fast a pace as he could, ducking into rubble, eyes already searching for any hint of silver.

 _There!_ Poking from under a slab of concrete was the device. Bending down he wrenched away the rubble, threw it aside and–!

An arrow nearly pierced his arm, grazing the skin at the front and leaving a nasty burn that had him stumbling back. He launched back entirely, flipping out of the way of three arrows in a row, no Gintō in hand. He cursed his rotten luck.

Okay, this wasn't all bad, he reasoned, running toward better cover. He could try that again. He just couldn't stray too far. He already uncovered the thing and had it in his sights. If he wanted to get it, all he needed to do was run in, grab, and run out. _Easy._

He glanced over, seeing his dad approaching the rubble, bow still drawn, a curious look on his face. It was now or never.

Uryuu fancied himself a cautious and methodical fighter. He didn't mind the occasional rick, but he always made it a point to have them be calculated risks.

If he went in there, he'd probably get shot. There, he calculated it. (He blamed Abarai's influence.)

With his limited Reiryoku at his feet he leapt forward, ignoring the dizzying feeling that came as he pushed against his limits. He landed right in front of his father, grabbed the Gintō and leapt away, feeling arrows miss his legs by barely a hair. (In fact, he was pretty sure it singed some of his hair.) Now, he had maybe a few seconds to do this before Ryuuken realized what was up.

He jumped from the ledge, watching the arrow release overhead and feeling his father jump in afterward. Then, he vaulted over a wall, pressed the top of the Gintō, grinning to himself as Reiryoku hissed out. He dropped it and ran.

 _Step One: Make a decoy Reiatsu signature convincing enough to throw Ryuuken off for a split second._

He dashed forward, the last of his Reiryoku screaming at him from overuse already. Just a little longer, he thought.

"Tilt the goblet to the west," he said over the second Gintō. He jumped to the top of the wall watching with satisfaction as his father's eyes widened, the man's aim shifting. He used that second of confusion to throw the Gintō right at the man, not missing the mark. "Wolke!"

 _Step Two: Temporarily blind Ryuuken, stopping whatever arrow he was going to fire with Wolke's shielding force._

He didn't need to add too much power to that last one. This next one would be the kicker.

"A silver rod strikes the five fingered stone bed. Gritz!"

This one required all his remaining strength. He threw his final Gintō through the cloud.

 _Step Three: Stop Ryuuken with a Reishi shield. Win._

Uryuu didn't jump down immediately. He watched as the smoke of Wolke dissipated, only stepping down when he confirmed that no arrows were coming through. When the smoke went away entirely, and he got to see the shield stand there in all its glory he almost cheered.

Ryuuken was trapped in a solid looking silver structure, a Quincy Cross emblazoned on it. Maybe now, he'd finally answer some of Uryuu's questions. Panting, he approached.

He stopped in his tracks when he noticed the cracks. Light began streaming through, energy seeping out. He stepped back, feeling his heart sink.

That took all he had in him. Uryuu's legs were shaking, his Reiryoku so depleted there were spots in his vision.

The shield finally fell away revealing Ryuuken, bow drawn with an arrow that looked even more powerful than before.

"What a shame," the man said with a scowl. "It's over."

He fired, the arrow going straight into Uryuu's chest. Not even registering the pain, Uryuu was thrown back, his glasses flying, blurry vision quickly going dark.

"That was clever… but you should have used a Heizen."

 _Asshole._

Part IV

Rukia let out a noise of excitement as she watched the pile of boxes before her get pushed into the surrounding wall by an invisible force. She lowered her hand, heart pounding.

There was no frozen cardboard, no sparks at her fingertips that left stinging burns, just a successful use of Kidō. She hadn't even had to use an incantation. It was such a simple victory, but there she was grinning like an idiot.

"Yeah! You let those boxes have it!" Mashiro cheered.

"That was much better, Rukia," Ushōda said, pleased.

Lowering her hand, Rukia noted a sort of ache buzzing up her arm, as if she'd just finished a long work out. "I didn't realize getting one spell right would take so much," she said. It made it all the more worth it, though.

"It's like I said," Ushōda started, "it's all about finding balance, which doesn't come intuitively to anyone. It should get easier with every spell you learn, however."

"What's next?" she asked immediately.

"Oh!" Mashiro squealed. "You should teach her the transmitter spell. I love that one!"

"That is a good one, I agree, but perhaps a bit advanced," Ushōda reasoned. "I was thinking a Bakudō spell, perhaps a barrier."

"So, like a shield?" Rukia asked, heart swelling. Sode no Shirayuki was a two-handed sword, but she was sure she could make it work.

 _She was going to get a shield!_

" _Like_ a shield," Ushōda emphasized. "We'd be skipping a few, but I believe you would get good use out of Bakudō Number Eight, Seki. It allows the user to repel weaker attacks, useful for an opponent that is faster than you, but perhaps a bit weak. Mashiro, if you would…"

The smaller Visored grinned, letting out a giggle. "Don't mind if I do."

She stepped back several meters, Ushōda brining an arm up in front of him. In a moment he had summoned a glowing blue orb before it, power extending far past its light. Mashiro took one final step back, and with a grin launched herself forward, aiming a lightning fast kick right at his front.

Rukia saw the kick land right at the edge of the orb, and with a _snap_ Mashiro was thrown backwards, tumbling for a moment before skidding into a crouch.

"You could have put a little more into it," Mashiro pouted.

He chided, "I believe I got my point across."

"That was amazing," Rukia gasped out. Falling back into the dirt, Mashiro flashed her a grin.

"How is progress with your mask going?" Ushōda asked. "I'd like to show you the effects of wearing it while casting spells, if I could."

"…It's getting there," Rukia said sheepishly. Sode said she was getting better, at least, and she was starting to get a decent handle on her Bankai with it on. "We can try it," she said, more confident.

"Perfect. Now, you know the drill. We first must learn the incantation…"

Rukia followed the two back into the warehouse, a spring in her step.

Part V

When Uryuu came to, he was utterly confused. He saw a light blue ceiling, white walls, a shelf that he didn't normally wake up to, and a bed that felt all too familiar. He was in his childhood room, that much he could understand. His first conclusion was that he must have been dreaming.

Then, he shifted to get a better look at the blurry dreamscape room, ended up letting out an involuntary groan of pain, and begun to question the whole "dream" theory. You weren't supposed to feel pain in dreams, right? The pinched sore feeling in his chest definitely counted as pain.

He tried moving again, just shifting his head slowly, and one of the first things he laid eyes on was his father, sitting at Uryuu's old desk, working through a pile of paperwork. Yeah, this definitely wasn't a dream. More likely, it was a nightmare.

"You're awake," his father said with a raised eyebrow.

"The sky is blue," Uryuu tried to say in response. All he managed was a hiss of air and a croaking groan.

His father cleared his throat, sending Uryuu a pointed look as if he knew exactly what he had meant, there. He stood up, setting down his papers and adjusting his glasses. "It's a good thing," the man continued. "It means the ritual worked."

 _Wha…_ Maybe he was still asleep, after all, because he wasn't following.

"Drive the recipient to the point of exhaustion, then fire a nineteen millimeter straight at his chest," Ryuuken explained. "It's an older spell, one that I learned from Sōken."

"You… couldn't h…have just… told me?" Uryuu croaked.

"I figured it would speed things up if I didn't, and I was right. That risky maneuver you pulled at the end managed to tip you over the edge must faster than I could have hoped."

 _Typical,_ Uryuu thought.

"H…how long…," he trailed off, nearly breaking into a cough.

"A little over a day." The answer had Uryuu's eyes widening in surprise. "Stay here. I'll get you some water."

The second the man left the room, Uryuu was scrambling to sit up, biting down hard on his lip to suppress a pained yelp. One glance down and he saw the wound.

Well, it looked more like a scar, really. It was a brand seared red into his chest in the shape of a perfect Quincy Cross.

He looked down at his hands, trepidation rising. He held one up. Arm outstretched, and hand shaking he tried to make a crude bow. When the light came immediately, unsteady, but _strong_ , he nearly fell over in an odd mixture of shock and relief.

If was back. He had it back.

"Don't look so surprised," Ryuuken said, approaching. He put the cup into Uryuu's shaking hand. "What, did you think I lied to you?"

 _No,_ Uryuu thought honestly as he downed half the cup in a single go. "I just had to check," he said finally.

Ryuuken's eyes averted, and he coughed awkwardly into his fist. "You'll want to get some more rest, or at least not go rushing straight into battle. Your powers need time to settle."

"Can I at least get a change of clothes?" he asked flatly. With a single sniff, and then a suppressed flinch he mentally added, _And a shower, while I'm at it._

"I put one on your nightstand," he said, motioning to it.

There, neatly folded was a T-shirt and jeans that he was _sure_ he had back at his apartment. (Then again, maybe not. He could only make out the color from here without his glasses.) Still, he sent an accusing look at his father, just in case.

"What?" the man asked. "You really think I'm not going to make a copy of my son's apartment key? You're still underaged, Uryuu."

With a silent huff Uryuu shifted slowly off the bed, feet settling on the ground. He took in the smaller wounds on his torso and arms, all treated, none as bad as they probably should have been. All the while, his father lingered.

Uryuu heard rustling fabric, heard his father approach him again. He looked up at the man only to see him holding something out to Uryuu, Sōken's Quincy Cross.

Nearly gasping aloud, Uryuu reached for it, hesitating at the last moment. Then, his father pressed it into his hands, folding his fingers over it.

"Whatever you're planning, you'll need this."

Uryuu nodded dumbly, gazing down at it. The silver of the cross was a little more tarnished than he remembered, but the crystal still shone as brightly as ever. He actually felt too nervous to put it on right then, so, nearly numb from shock he held it to his chest.

His father moved to the door, then, but just as his hand touched the doorknob he stopped, staying silent for a long while. His back remained turned.

"I stand by what I said earlier. You shouldn't involve yourself in this. You don't know what you're getting yourself into, not really."

"I know what fighting's like, Ryuuken." He did plenty of it back in the Soul Society.

"That's not what I'm talking about." He didn't have to see well to notice his father's back tensing or hear the creak of the doorknob as the man's grip tightened. "Being a Quincy is marking yourself for death. Your grandfather didn't realize it until it was too late, neither did your mother."

The words caught Uryuu by surprise. For all the ways his father had bad mouthed the Quincy, this was not one of them. There was really only one thing he could think to say back.

"You don't need to worry about me," he said quietly.

The man left silently, and, for what was hardly the first time, he left Uryuu feeling confused and lost, albeit for much different reasons.

Getting up, the boy placed Sōken's Cross with his clothes, heading straight towards the bathroom. By the time he was ready to leave, feeling fresh, if a bit (majorly) tired, he realized his father was no longer home, the car up front gone.

Snagging a spare key (because if his father was going to have one, so was he), Uryuu left the house, Cross on his wrist and book bag slung over his shoulder. It was time for him to make his return.

* * *

 **My intention here was to continue my quest of keeping the main characters main, and continuing Ishida's arc in a way that not only made sense but could also be expanded upon through the next few arcs. It might be telling that these scenes between him and his father were some of the first that I had thought of when drafting up this fic.**

 **I could probably write like a whole essay about these two, tbh. Send me a comment on this webzone if you want it. (They give me life.)**

* * *

 **Update: An art thing has been posted on Archive of our own in celebration of Rukia's birthday. Please visit the Chapter 44 of this fic on that site (same title, same user name) if you want to see it.**


	45. XLV: Interlude 9

**This ends the Uryuu centric saga for the next little while. Regularly scheduled programming should commence soon, but still, I hope you enjoy this.**

 **Quick warnings for grief, depression, though that is par for the course with the Ishida family, huh?**

* * *

One of Uryuu's very first memories is of watching his own tiny hands _glowing_.

He wasn't sure how old he was, then, though he believed it happened sometime before he started going to school. At the very least it was before his mom… well…

She was there. That was the important part. She was sitting on the couch, in fact, her inky black hair falling over her shoulders in elegant waves.

(He remembered her hair even more than her face, at times. He remembered running his fingers through it, trying to put little braids into it and succeeding in little more than tying it in knots, drawing grimaces from her when his chubby fingers pulled too hard.)

 _Yeah,_ she was on the couch, he thought, and his father, well, he was there too, this being one of the rare times when he wasn't away at work. He remembered that those used to be much less rare back then.

His father was right in front of him, his long elegant fingers guiding his own, softly glowing as he quietly encouraged his son.

Uryuu didn't remember what the man had said. What he remembered was the tone, the smile, as he manipulated Uryuu's fingers, watching with a quiet happiness as Uryuu became enraptured by this little personal light show.

Much later, Uryuu would question if it had really happened that way. His father looked so content and warm in his memories, so different from the Ryuuken that he knew now. What had changed?

He could name a few.

…

Ryuuken and Uryuu were driving in silence, the child shifting uncomfortably in place. The black dress shirt he wore was stiff and itchy, and he felt utterly miserable. Still, for the first time in a long while his eyes were dry.

 _And why would he cry?_ It didn't matter what everyone else had said. That wasn't a _real_ funeral. They didn't even have anything to cremate. His father never found grandfather, after all.

He grumbled to himself, fists clenched as his anger began bubbling over.

"Uryuu," his dad said stiffly, "if you want to say something, you'll need to speak up."

Gritting his teeth, Uryuu did.

"Why'd we stop looking?!" he yelled. He didn't notice how his father's hands started trembling against the wheel. "We don't know that he's dead for sure! We should be looking for that Shinigami, a-and make him pay! We should be getting grandfather ba–!"

The car skidded suddenly to a stop, Ryuuken slamming the brakes mere blocks away from their house.

" _That's enough_ ," the man said in a low voice. "Sōken is gone, Uryuu, you need to accept that."

"Y-you don't know that!"

"Quiet!" he finally yelled back, his hand slamming against the horn. Uryuu flinched away, eyes wide with shock. "I _do_ know that. Shinigami, like the one you saw, do you know what they do to Quincy? They cart them off to labs and they _kill_ them. Your grandfather is gone and there is nothing I can d–!"

The words stayed stuck in the man's throat as he glanced down at his son.

Uryuu didn't know exactly what the man saw, then. He could feel himself trembling, though, tears welling up in his eyes. He could see his father in front of him suddenly looking just as afraid as he felt.

The man turned back to the road, driving forward again with a white knuckled grip.

…

Over the next year, Uryuu learned a few things. He learned how to get ready for school all on his own, how to go to bed with no one home without getting scared, and even how to fall asleep again after a nightmare.

(Get up. Get a glass of milk. Remember that it wasn't real.)

What he hadn't been learning was any of the Quincy stuff he was supposed to have gotten started on by now. He'd tried to ask his dad, _many times,_ but…

 _"_ _At least take me to the–!"_

 _"_ _No."_

 _"_ _But grandfather said–!"_

 _"_ _I said no, Uryuu. End of discussion!"_

That was basically how it went every time. After almost half a year of begging, of settling with doing target practice at recess with rocks, and only occasionally using his practice bow at home when his father wasn't around to see it, he got tired of waiting for a yes.

He was going to find a way to continue his training by himself, he'd determined. He just needed to figure out how…

His mind drifted pretty instantly to the books his grandfather kept. They had all sorts of useful skills in them. If he went through them, he'd be back on track in no time. The only problem was where to get them. He didn't know where his father stuck the old Quincy books that used to be littered all over the house, but no matter how hard he searched Uryuu couldn't find them. That left exactly one other place to get them.

 _The old hideout… He would have to go to the old hideout… alone._

Just the thought of that had him locking up in terror. He didn't want to go anywhere near that place, but… he had to, for his grandfather. So, he crafted a plan.

Today was a Wednesday, and on Wednesdays his dad didn't get back home until right before dinner time, usually with some kind of takeout in hand. He was sure he could make it to the Quincy hideout and back in that time.

So, he hurried home that day, narrowly dodging a teacher that had a "we need to talk" face on. He practically ran the whole way there, even rushing up the stairs, roughly throwing his school bag off his shoulders. He dumped out all the books and stray papers inside, stuffing in his practice bow as well as a notepad (just in case he found something that couldn't so easily be smuggled back). He left the house as quickly as he came.

Uryuu was used to walking the streets alone, at this point. He didn't even get any funny looks for it, anymore. He just ran along, heading straight for the edge of town and feeling butterflies in his stomach as he strayed further from home.

He knew the way. He'd taken it plenty of times with his grandfather.

 _Suck it up and stop being a baby!_

Before he'd realized it, he'd made it to the hideout, eyes settling right on the concealed entrance. Instinctively he took a step back.

His eyes darted around the area, heartrate rising. _That_ was where the car was parked. _There_ was the tree he'd tripped past as he ran out of the forest and for his life, and that _thing_ was probably still close by, _and…_

Uryuu shook himself, forcing a few steady breaths. He just had to go inside and leave, not that he _had_ to make quick work of it, of course. The Shinigami was nowhere close, anymore. His father had said so.

Forcing his legs to stop trembling he stepped forward, walking right through the entrance, his eyes screwed shut all the while. He only stopped walking once the noises around him changed and he realized he'd was in.

There were animals chittering around, the waterfall rushing in the distance. He very slowly opened his eyes to see the blossoming spring flowers, light streaming through the tree cover.

Walking further inside, Uryuu felt something in his heart clench. Everything here looked just as he remembered it.

Then again, it all seemed so different, didn't it? It felt bigger, emptier, somehow. He plopped down on a patch of grass, fingers immediately ripping out blades by the chunk.

 _Grandfather isn't here,_ he thought. _Grandfather loved this place, but he isn't here._

For the first time in what felt like a long while, Uryuu curled in on himself and started crying. It was noisy, it was messy, it _hurt_ and just…

He felt so alone, right then. (Just that thought made him cry all over again, even harder.)

He didn't know how long that went on for. He was just crying and crying and crying– and suddenly he was opening his eyes to darkness. He glanced up, alarmed.

The skies were a navy blue. Uryuu was collapsed against his backpack, the stiff leather digging into his ribs. He could hear leaves rustling, being disturbed by something, and for some reason he didn't think it was a fox cub.

His heart started pounding. He scrambled up to his feet, wincing against the scrapes he put into his palms as a result. He just reached for his bow, notched a blunt arrow and drew it in a shaky grip. No one else was supposed to be here, not unless his dad was _wrong,_ and the Shinigami was still around and–

"Uryuu!"

His hand slipped suddenly, the arrow disappearing into the darkness only to thump into a nearby tree. His terror began to melt away.

"Uryuu!" his father yelled again, panicked. He rounded the corner, practically tearing through the brush. His eyes landed on his son, and shoulders slumping the man let out a deep sigh of relief.

Then, his face steeled.

"We're going home," he said, grabbing Uryuu's arm.

"B-but I… the books!" Uryuu stuttered out.

"That doesn't matter, now. I'm taking you home."

"Oh, come on!" Uryuu pulled his arm free. "I need them! If you won't teach me, I gotta teach myself, and this is the only way!"

His father took a step back, seeming lost for a brief moment. It went away as quickly as it came. In a fluid motion he threw Uryuu over his shoulder.

"H-hey!"

"We're going, and that's final."

He dragged Uryuu to the car kicking and screaming.

…

Uryuu let out a harsh gasp, nearly bolting out of bed in fright. He felt disoriented, sleep still in his eyes and heart pounding. It took a bit of blinking, a bit of time taking in his blurry surroundings, for him to realize that he _wasn't_ currently in a forest running away from shadowy faced monsters. Sickening laughter wasn't echoing around him, urging him forward.

He was in bed. It was nighttime. (Slipping on his glasses he realized it was two AM to be exact.) He had school tomorrow, as well as some self-imposed training regimes to go over, so he didn't exactly have time to waste to be doing… _this._

(And no, he hadn't given up going to the hideout after that first time. All he'd done was get smarter about his dad's work schedule.)

At the same time, though, he really didn't want to go back to sleep, not right now, anyway.

With slightly trembling limbs he peeled himself from his mattress, setting his feet on the ground and moving towards the door with quick but tense steps. He half stumbled down the stairs, all while remembering that old regimen that he hadn't had to fall back on in nearly a year.

"Get up. Get a glass of milk. Remember it wasn't real."

He barely made it to the kitchen when he realized that, for once, he wasn't alone there. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of white, the sting of cigarette smoke in his nose. He turned.

Ryuuken was sitting at the kitchen table, two crumbled cigarette butts already in the ash tray. The largest mug in the house sat in front of him, half filled with coffee.

The man looked exhausted, face drawn, and bags under his eyes. There were no work papers in front of him. The TV as off. He was just sitting there, and that unsettled Uryuu for reasons he couldn't articulate.

His father noticed him, then, looking up at his son, an eyebrow raised in a silent question.

"Why are you up?" Uryuu asked bluntly.

The man shrugged. "No reason," he said, and then he continued on his current cigarette.

Uryuu didn't wait for him to elaborate, or even correct the obvious lie. He instead grabbed his glass of milk, taking a deep gulp immediately. Should he take it back to his room? Should he drink it at the couch? He usually just drank it at the table like he was supposed to, but…

 _No,_ there was no reason for that to change now just because his father was there, even if the smoke did smell awful. With that in mind he sat down in the chair across from the man, drinking slowly.

They didn't speak, not even when Uryuu finally left for bed.

…

"It" all started when Uryuu's father made it known that he was aware of Uryuu's secret training sessions.

Oh, Uryuu had suspected the man knew more than he let on, but he certainly didn't want to say anything about it. He even had some appreciation for how easily they avoided the subject all together. His father had made his stance clear a long time ago, after all.

Then, his father got a call from his middle school. They were concerned about his frequent bruises and wounds. His father hadn't been too happy.

(Dang, Uryuu thought he was being careful. He probably should have realized his homeroom teacher would notice the giant acid burn from the other day, at least. Damn Hollow.)

It wasn't the first time a few harsh words between them devolved into a shouting match that alarmed the neighbors, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. It was just the first argument in a while that centered around _this_ particular topic.

 _"_ _You're fighting Hollows? Really, Uryuu? If I'd thought you would take it this far, I'd have put a stop to this back when I found that first tome hidden under your bed!"_

 _"_ _You… urgh! Someone had to do it! So, what, I got a few scrapes?! I beat them!"_

 _"_ _There are Shinigami for this! They don't need rank amateurs like yourself 'helping!'"_

 _"_ _Please, as if I'd ever leave it to THEM! When have they…!"_

The rest was a blur. It probably wasn't even worth remembering, and they'd repeat it plenty of times, anyway.

(And each time the argument was always the same, at its core. It even ended the same way, with someone storming out mad, usually Uryuu.)

It didn't take long for Uryuu to get tired of them, either. Where he used to just barely tolerate being home alone, now, he looked forward to it. As his dad took on longer shifts, more responsibilities at the hospital, Uryuu found himself growing more and more relieved. Mornings, dinners, and weekends were spent alone, _in peace_.

(He remembered one week he didn't see his father at all, only spotting his shoes at the door once or twice. It hadn't even struck him as odd until he saw him in the living room one morning reading the Sunday paper like all was right with the world.)

Amongst all the relief and all the hard feelings, however, Uryuu just felt defeated. By the next argument, he felt downright exhausted.

 _"_ _You will never be ready, Uryuu! You ought to just quit while you're ahead!"_

 _"_ _What, like you did?"_

 _"_ _You cling to this…"_

 _"…_ _all you ever talk about! ..."_

Maybe that was why, the next day, he was loitering around the town square instead of heading home. (Ryuuken had an early shift. He was probably back home, by now.)

High school was barely two months away, he remined himself. Then, it was just a matter of getting into Tokyo University like he wanted, and he could forget about this whole thing.

Three years wasn't that long… right?

He let out a sigh, considering the different snacks in the convenience store, as well as the merits of asking Mrs. Hoshino for some work for the ten days Spring Break lasted.

Yeah, he was going to ask her tomorrow, he decided suddenly. He also decided on a red bean bun that looked edible enough. It was almost dinner time. He couldn't waste the whole day here.

"One hundred and fifty," the cashier said.

Uryuu riffled around in his wallet, taking his sweet time when something on the metal racks caught his eye. There were some ads for apartments in the area. Almost as a joke he plopped it onto the counter, fishing out another one fifty.

He left the store, eating the bun, nose stuck in the paper just because it was something to waste time with.

There were quite a few apartments listed nearby, many of them newly built. (It was funny how a town like Karakura had such a demand for construction. It was almost as if buildings getting mysteriously destroyed was a common occurrence, and no one really questioned it.)

Some of them boasted size, good neighborhoods, price, but one in particular bragged about being close to Karakura High, though it was rather small, comfortably fitting two at most.

Three years was a long time to wait, he remembered. He seriously doubted his father would agree to this, but who knew? It would at least be an interesting way to spite the man.

He fished out a pen from his school bag, circling the listing several times before tucking it away. He stuffed the used bun wrapper in his pocket and trudged along, allowing himself to get distracted by whatever random things came his way.

Was there a flyer for a musical event he didn't care about? He might as well give it a glance. Was there a food stand that he didn't recognize? He took the time to memorize its name. Did someone lose their cat for the fifth time? Well, keeping an eye out was just his duty as a citizen.

Finally reaching his front door despite all his efforts was… irritating.

He trudged through, ignoring the phone call his father seemed to be in the middle of, and barely sparing the cold soba on the counter a glance. He just stuck it in the fridge, figuring that he'd eat it sometime after homework was finished.

"…I'll be right in." Ryuuken's voice drew near, coming in from the hall. "I just have to make sure that… Uryuu." His eyes settled on his son, expression unreadable. "Give me fifteen minutes." He hung up.

The man looked carefully at Uryuu then, opening his mouth like he wanted to say something before closing it again. One hand went for the cigarette in his shirt pocket as the other reached for the keys on the counter. He started moving past Uryuu.

Something about _that_ really had Uryuu bristling. Before the man could pass him, he whipped out the apartment ad, sticking it in the man's face.

"What's… this?" Ryuuken asked, pushing it away with distaste.

"It's close to Karakura High," Uryuu said by way of explanation, "and it's not very expensive, either."

Ryuuken sent him a scrutinizing scowl. "What would you know about rent prices?"

Uryuu resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Consider it," he said flatly, trying to be as civil as possible. Judging by the narrowing of his father's eyes it was a moot effort. Still, the man took the paper, quickly stuffing it in his pocket.

Uryuu later assumed that the man threw it away promptly after, having been properly irritated by his son's passive-aggressive actions. He didn't so much as mention it for over a month, after all.

In fact, Uryuu barely saw him for that month. He seemed to always be at the hospital after that for one reason of another. The boy was genuinely surprised when he saw the man waiting outside for him at graduation to greet him like every other parent.

Ryuuken spared his diploma a glance before steering him into the car. He said something about having to work late that night, starting very soon, as proven by the white lab coat that was shoved into the back seat.

Things were otherwise silent all the way up to the house. The man stopped at the front, and just as Uryuu unbuckled his seatbelt he said something else.

"You're moving out for school. It's the apartment you picked out."

Uryuu was agape. "…Really?"

"That is what you wanted, right?"

"…Yeah," he said in a small voice.

He got out of the car and his dad drove off.

Walking into the house, he felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Was this whole incident further proof that his dad was completely unpredictable and possible a secret space alien? Yes, but it was… it didn't…

It didn't make him very happy for some reason, and he didn't know why. He was relieved, looking forward to some more permanent peace, but as the weight off his shoulders lifted a new one in his stomach settled.

He should probably start packing.

…

Uryuu collapsed on his apartment couch feeling the healing scar on his chest pinch at the movement.

Just that walk managed to wear him out, somehow. He wanted to pass out, _badly,_ possibly for the next twenty-four hours, possibly right here. It was hard to sleep, though, with all these thoughts going through his head. He wished his fingers weren't shaking so much. Introspection made for a great time to work on stitches.

He would have to make do with just his thoughts and silence for now, then.

Despite all the arguments, all the bad blood and insults, Uryuu never hated his father. Did he hate seeing him? Sometimes, but whenever Uryuu thought of hating Ryuuken himself he'd remember the smiling man with the glowing hands and just get confused all over again.

He kept thinking of their talk. There was barely even any arguing involved, and all Uryuu really saw was just how sad Ryuuken looked. It frightened him.

For all intents and purposes, his father, despite whatever hang-ups he had, decided to meet him halfway this week. Twelve-year old Uryuu would be jumping for joy right about now. Fifteen-year old Uryuu just wanted to curl up in a ball.

He supposed a proper thank you might be in order, maybe an assurance that he wasn't dead once this whole thing was over. Who knew, they might even start talking again.

 _Again? We never really talked._

Okay, maybe they would start talking, he mentally corrected.

That seemed like a plan, he thought. He'd stop by and–

No, his father would probably assume he wanted something again.

Then, he'd stop by his father's workplace, wait if he had to, and…

 _What, ask him out for dinner?_

Either he was even more tired than he first thought, or this whole thing was much _harder_ than he first thought. He needed to come back to this later, maybe subtly ask Abarai or Orikasa (who both seemed to have a much better grasp on the proper child-guardian relationship than he did) for some advice.

Yeah, there was a proper plan. Get some rest. Meet up with the others. _Actually_ make a plan, later.

He turned his focus to phase one.

* * *

 **As far as favorite interludes go, this one is number two for me, right behind Orihime's flashback chapter. I am working on the final interlude for the arc right now, though, so that might change.**

 **Also! I'm starting to realize I have a limited number of these left, so I'm really trying to make them count. As I'm drafting up the next arc I'd love it if you could give me some input on what y'all really want to read about backstory-wise. It might sway some of my decision making, here. Your comments do give me life, after all.**


	46. XLVI

**Back to our regularly scheduled programming, my dudes.**

* * *

Part I

Rukia let out a giggle as she hopped across the rooftops. She ran ahead freely, using footholds in the air with barely a thought. With two great leaps she landed on the top of a light post, wobbling for a moment. She didn't bother hiding her big stupid grin.

"Not bad, not bad," Mashiro said with a smirk. She was standing mid-air, hand on her hip.

"I can only do the air thing for a second," Rukia panted out, "but I can do it! I still can't believe it."

The Visored plopped down where she stood, sitting cross legged. "Eh, you'll get there. Give it a few weeks and you'll be running circles around everyone. For now… _sneak attack!_ " She sprung up.

" _Bakudō Number Eight, Seki!_ " Rukia rushed out. Her arm barely came up in time, a light surrounding it just as Mashiro's foot struck. The Visored was sent tumbling back, skidding across the nearest rooftop. Rukia let out a sigh. "You can't just yell 'sneak attack,' you know. It defeats the whole purpose of a 'sneak attack.'"

"Hey, you were surprised, don't lie," Mashiro said, dusting herself off. She grinned. "And that was just a test, anyway. You did that without an incantation!"

 _I did… didn't I?_ Rukia thought with a smile. She hadn't even noticed. It seemed like all of Ushōda's hard work paid off. She couldn't wait until they got to learning some more advanced spells.

Mashiro walked back, right off the building. She turned away. "Race you to the park," she said over her shoulder.

"You're on!"

To absolutely no one's surprise Mashiro _literally_ ran circles around Rukia, not that the Substitute really minded. That was just Mashiro's way of teasing her, challenging her. It urged Rukia to push herself harder, to try and stay on the air for a bit longer.

It was also a lot of fun.

When Renji had left, followed very quickly by Uryuu, Rukia knew it was her turn to get to work, too. She started spending as much of the day as she could running with Mashiro, learning spells from Ushōda, sparring with Sarugaki, and even working on her Mask with Sode. It was tiring work (Matsumoto had to practically carry her to bed on one occasion) but it was well worth it.

She'd made some amazing progress with her Bankai and had even learned of some of the amazing things she could achieve with it with the Mask (in the thirty seconds she was able to keep it for. She was up to a minute while using her Shikai). Though she wouldn't admit it out loud, she was itching to use some of her new knowledge…

With a grin, she thought to herself, _No time like the present._

A well-timed use of her Mask right now would help her take this race, for sure. Mashiro was doing an awful lot of goofing off, after all, and Rukia remembered that old tale about the tortoise and the hare.

Bringing up a hand, she began summoning her mask. Her hand froze mere centimeters from her face as she spotted something odd right out of the corner of her eye.

"Not again," Mashiro whispered beside her. Dread filled her voice.

Way up in the sky, Rukia could see a portal open up, one that by this point had become far too familiar to her. She fumbled for her Soul Candy, landing heavily on the nearest rooftop. She swallowed a candy immediately, and only then, in her Shinigami form, the Gikon trembling silently beside her, did she take in the invaders.

Four Arrancar stepped through the portal, two of which she recognized instantly as Yammy and…

Her eyes narrowed. She drew her Zanpakuto.

"What?!" Mashiro cried. "You can't be serious. There are Shinigami here! Let them take care of it!"

Jagerjaquez chose then to take notice, sneering down at the Substitute. She saw the wound she'd given him, healed into a gnarled scar. She also saw the missing arm.

"I'll let them take care of those three," she said, pointing with her sword, "but he's mine."

Mashiro looked dismayed at this, hand extended as if she wanted to say something, or maybe even physically try and stop Rukia, but after a long moment she nodded, darting away faster than Rukia's eyes could follow.

Rukia closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and faced her opponent.

Part II

"Come on, Fullbring," Ichigo taunted. "One more training session. Let's go."

The teenager let out a huff, rolling his eyes heavily as he continued to stuff his backpack. "We have like two hours. No."

"Hey, two hours is plenty," the Lieutenant argued. "We could probably work on your shitty aim some more."

Renji let out a growl, throwing his backpack over his shoulder. "You really know how to piss me off, don't you? …Fine."

They hurried to the training fields, Ichigo keeping an eye open for a good spot. Of course, they just ended up at the usual, Orihime already waiting for them, her own bag packed. She looked at them pleasantly, greetings already on her lips. The pleasant look was gone the second she realized what they were up to.

"I thought you'd learned your lesson last time," Orihime sighed out. "If you're late again, the Captain Commander's going to incredibly cross, you know that, right?"

"I'm not going to be late," Ichigo said back. "I just want to use every second I've got, is all. Trust me, the kid needs it."

"Hey, watch it," Renji warned.

Ichigo pointedly ignored him. "Okay," he started, mind working. "I think we'll start with…"

He trailed off, not paying any mind to the strange look Renji shot him as a result. He was far too focused on the two figures in the distance, running towards them.

Sentarō and Kiyone were coming at them at full speed, practically tripping over each other in the process. This was not a new sight to Ichigo, honestly, but usually that meant Captain Ukitake was involved. Wasn't he supposed to be in a meeting, right now?

"Shiba!" Sentarō yelled.

"Lietenant Shiba!" Kiyone cried. "Something terrible has happened!"

 _That_ got his attention. The two stumbled to a stop in front of him, panting with the effort. "Explain," he said tersely.

"Karakura Town," Kiyone rushed, "the Arrancar, they've–!"

"They've invaded!" Sentarō cut in. "We don't know how powerful they are, but the Captain told us to get you!"

"You're kidding me," Ichigo grumbled. He turned to Renji, a crooked smile on his face. "Time to see if any of that training paid off."

Renji gulped, nodding solemnly.

The three were led by the dual Third Seats to the Division Thirteen Gardens, the Captain already standing there waiting for them. He looked nervous, something that only spiked Ichigo's anxiety. A Senkaimon (one that form a glance Ichigo could tell was completely unauthorized) stood behind the man.

"You'll need to hurry," Captain Ukitake said. "I'll cover for you. As far as anyone else will know, you three left right as scheduled."

"Thank you," Ichigo said. There were perks to having a Captain old enough to know how to perfectly game the system. Her turned to his companions. "You guys ready?" he asked. "We'll be landing right in the middle of a battle." That was assuming this message got to them efficiently. News could travel slowly in the Soul Society.

"What do you take us for?" Renji huffed out.

"I have to agree, that is a silly question," Orihime said with a nod.

Ichigo grinned. "Then it's time to run like hell."

Orihime hurried through the portal, Ichigo springing through right after. Renji lingered for a moment, turning to the Captain to say something, but what he said, Ichigo never caught it.

The second they all landed, the Cleaner made its presence known as dramatically and terrifyingly as possible, its Reiatsu settling over them like a five tonne rock. The weight alone had Ichigo slipping on the slimy ground, his attempts at Hohō almost sending him into the wall.

Heart rate spiking he stumbled forward, forcing himself to stay upright by sheer force of will. He glanced around, seeing Orihime right ahead of him, struggling similarly. Behind him…

"Hurry it up!" Ichigo called over his shoulder.

"You don't think I'm trying?!" Renji yelled back.

Orihime shook her head in dismay.

"I _knew_ I should have gone over speed more," Ichigo cursed to himself. He pushed himself forward, forcing his feet to grip on the floor with a touch of Reiryoku. He continued to look back, trying to ignore the literal monster on their heels.

When they broke free to the other side, Ichigo nearly cried with relief. How on earth did those humans do this by themselves before?!

The sounds of battle raged overhead, something that oddly enough only increased his relief. This relief was destroyed when he saw Tōshiro get knocked out of the sky by a small Arrancar's tentacles.

"Orihime!" he yelled.

"On it!" She went to the boy in a flash.

"Renji, back her up. She'll be vulnerable while she's healing!"

"Uh… you got it," the boy panted out. His eyes were wide as he took in the scene in front of him. It took some visible effort for him to tear himself away.

A deep rage built up in Ichigo as he drew his Zanpakuto. He took a running start, launching himself into the air.

The small Arrancar let out a laugh, seeming confident in his own victory. It wasn't just Tōshiro that he had taken down. In those weird tentacles of his he had Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika in his grasp. With a fourth tentacle he was getting ready to skewer Rangiku.

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

He sliced clean through the appendage, taking satisfaction in the shock clear on the Arrancar's face as Rangiku fell from his grip.

"And who would you be?" the Arrancar hissed.

"The one that gonna kick your a–"

He cut himself off, making a hairpin turn as a presence came up behind him. He sliced out, forcing back another small Arrancar. This one seemed… different from the others somehow.

The new Arrancar said nothing, laughing openly as he moved back. His blonde hair fell into his face, his sleeved nearly covered his hands. Ichigo might have said he were some out of place child, were it not for the hole in his chest.

(Or the manic glee in his eyes.)

"Well, aren't you a weird one?"

The kid responded by striking forward, a powerful energy emanating from his hand. Ichigo dodged back, alarmed. What kind of attack was that?

He moved forward, readying his own, when suddenly a third presence appeared beside him, and this time he was just a bit too slow.

He was sent plummeting, an intense force jackknifing through his back. He slammed to the ground, dazed. He squeezed his eyes shut as he sensed more attacks coming down.

When a familiar warmth enveloped him, he let out a gasp of relief. He didn't even have to open his eyes to know it was Orihime's shield around him. He forced himself up to his hands and knees.

"Tōshiro," he immediately said, "is he…?"

"Look for yourself," she said with a smile, pointing up to the air. He glanced up to see an expansive web of ice trapping the tentacled Arrancar, Renji cutting down his remaining tentacles from a distance.

 _Huh, the kid had learned something._

He glanced up at his own opponent, still sending down attacks with reckless abandon. This Arrancar was a bit of an idiot, wasn't he?

"Hey, Orihime?" he asked hesitantly.

"You've got some bruising," she said automatically. "You can still take him."

"Great. Cover me."

She grinned at him. He darted up the second the shield was lowered. These Arrancar would regret messing with them.

Part III

"Heh, I was looking for you, Substitute."

"Funny. I was about to say the same thing."

The two enemies faced each other, neither making a single move, waiting for the other to budge. It was then, as battles erupted around them, that Rukia allowed her curiosity to win.

"…What happened to… that?" Rukia felt uncomfortable the second the words left her mouth, but she just had to know. She remembered the frost that crawled up his hand during their last battle, but had it really gotten that bad?

"Ah, this?" he asked with a sharp toothed smirk. He shook the stump of his arm, if only to make her squirm. "I didn't need it, not to beat you, anyway. So, I threw it away."

 _Likely story_ , Rukia thought sarcastically. It didn't really matter, she supposed.

"That wasn't very smart," she said instead. "I've improved a lot since you've last seen me."

"Oh, have you?" He barked out a laugh. " _Well, I'd love to see that_."

Eyes narrowing, Rukia turned over her sword. She pulled down her mask.

" _Bankai!_ "

He smirked, a hand reaching for his sword. Rukia wouldn't even let him draw it.

Rukia remembered vividly the winter wonderland that Sode had made back in Yoruichi's hideout, how she had said their Bankai could produce such a thing with proper training. Rukia yearned to get there one day, but for now this would have to do.

With a single swipe of her sword she encased Jaegerjaquez fully in a pillar of ice, the structure quickly expanding out in the crystalized air.

 _Twenty-seven seconds left,_ she thought. That was twenty-seven seconds that she wouldn't need. She stepped forwards.

The Arrancar's face was trapped in an intense rage, his sword barely drawn a few centimeters. She could practically see him struggling, his eyes darting this way and that. Good luck to him. This trap was about as sturdy as glacier.

She placed a hand on the ice, wondering how she might move him. As long as she could bring him to Ushōda, they could keep him trapped indefinitely. Then, maybe they could get some proper answers on what Aizen was even up to.

Just as she begun considering going to find Mashiro, or really any of the Visoreds, a low sound rang through the air. Her eyes went right to the ice under her hand, and with alarm she realized it was _cracked_. She barely had a second to jump back.

The ice exploded outwards, her narrowly avoiding getting struck by boulder sized pieces. Steam billowed out into the air. In the center of all the wreckage stood Jaegerjaquez, frostbitten and pissed as hell. He panted out heavily, ice slipping from his arm and falling to the ground.

She gulped.

"You _bitch!_ " He lunged at her, sword in a one-handed grip. He slashed out wildly, forcing her back.

She, in the meantime was trying to think rationally, here. She still had her mask, even if half her time was up. She just needed to try again, to try something different.

She launched another wave of ice, mentally cursing as he dodged past, weaving in after her. He went in for the attack only to be parried, her blade slashing across his chest leaving a gash that quickly froze over. That one he didn't brush of so quickly.

She followed through, slashing again, sending him back with a speed that he struggled to keep up with. With one cut she froze his eye shut. With another she sent ice crawling down his left hip quickly making its way to his knee.

She faced him, the Arrancar panting and absolutely livid. Then, her mask started to crack away.

 _Shit!_

"What the fuck were you doing since then, huh?!" he yelled, slashing at her once more.

Her eye exposed, she dodged away, heart pounding. "Training," she quipped, "what else?"

He flipped his grip on his Zanpakuto and seeing the hand motions for a Cero she cut at him, putting at much force into it as possible. She sent him tumbling through the streets.

Her mask fell off. He rose up.

 _Shit!_

With a single piercing blue eye, he looked at her. He stumbled up to his feet, one stiff leg dragging behind him. He grinned, and before she could think better, she took a cautious step back.

"Fresh outta time, huh?" he growled out.

She smirked at him, hiding her nerves.

He struck quickly, coming down on her, forcing her to block. It didn't come easily, either. She let out a grunt, the effects of her Bankai starting to hit her. With worry she noticed her fingers begin to crack bloodlessly. She was sure other parts of her body were suffering similarly, and the fact that she could hardly feel it wasn't very assuring.

He pushed down harder, blades sliding, and in a quick decision she broke left, attacking with what was hopefully enough ice to at least slow him down.

He deflected with a Cero, heat of the attack overtaking it. Then he flashed forward. Then she was crashing down.

Then everything went white.

It took her a good moment to figure out what had even happened. With clearing eyes, she took in the inside of a decrepit building, the rubble of a now destroyed wall surrounding her. She felt a pain at her back. She saw Jaegerjaquez crouched on top of her. With a cruel grin he shifted the hilt in his hand. She let out a choked gasp.

One glance down and Rukia saw the blade buried deep into her wrist, nearly lopping her hand right off.

He shifted it again, drawing another noise from her. She thought vacantly that it didn't hurt as much as it should have. That worried her (though not as much as her Bankai having disappeared, nothing more than a sealed sword lying at her side right then).

"I'd tear you apart with my bare hands," he said, jostling the blade. She choked down a groan, tears stinging in her eyes. "That probably wouldn't end well for me though, would it. No, I think this is a nice safe distance."

He brought a hand up, mere centimeters from her face, and began to charge a Cero, the gathering energy burning her cheeks.

A giant blast sliced through the air, right between them. Jaegerjaqeuz stumbled back, hissing at his now burned arm.

"You picked a fight with the wrong Shinigami, there, friend."

Through the hole in the wall stood Hirako, Zanpakuto casually slung over his shoulder as Msahiro tittered behind him. Rukia would have run over and kissed them both if this dammed sword wasn't still stuck in her arm.

"Heh, friend?" Jaegerjaquez asked. He was still smirking, but there was a certain uneasiness to his words, now. "You an ally of this one's or something?"

"As a matter of fact," Hirako pulled down his mask, Jaegerjaquez faltering at the display, " _yeah._ "

The Arrancar ripped his sword from Rukia, forcing out a true _scream_ , not that he seemed to care. He charged at Hirako, chasing the man out of the building. Mashiro was at Rukia's side in less than a second.

"Oh, no, no, no, this bad," Mashiro cried, hands hovering. Above them the roof shook, bits of dust falling on them. "Where's Hachigen when you need him?"

"We need to bind it, r-right?" Rukia asked, voice wavering.

"Bind it?! I don't even want to move it!"

Rukia moved up to a sitting position, grimacing as she resisted the urge to take another look. She instead focused on Mashiro's worried face, the Visored's teeth digging harshly into her lower lip. She paced for another moment before finally shucking off her tank top, revealing a plain sports bra underneath.

She wrapped the entire hand tightly but carefully, her own hands shaking. With Rukia's good hand gripping the makeshift binding tightly she allowed the other girl to drag her to her feet.

The two moved out of the warehouse, Mashiro hovering slightly, but Rukia didn't really notice. She instead found herself instantly glued to the fight in front of them.

Hirako blasted Jaegerjaquez with a Cero, directly hitting the shocked Arrancar, knocking him right out of the sky.

The Arrancar tumbled past them, stopping himself with one arm, glaring up at the Visored with a deep hatred.

"You minimized the damage by meeting my Cero with your own," Hirako commented. "Not bad."

"…Fuck…. you…" the Arrancar panted back. He stood up, nearly buckling under his injuries. (And Rukia had to give herself some credit, most of that damage was her own.) He swayed momentarily on his feet, hand on his sword as Hirako looked on with something akin to pity visible through his mask's eyeholes.

The Arrancar smirked.

" _Grind,_ " Rukia's eyes widened, " _Pa–!_ "

He was stopped suddenly, a pale hand settling on his blade as strong as any vice.

"Ul…Ulquiorra?" he sounded. His teeth were grit so hard Rukia thought they might break.

The other Arrancar looked down at Jagerjaquez, expression unreadable.

"Mission accomplished," he said. "Let's go."

The words seemed to trigger something in Jaegerjaquez, judging by his reaction. His shoulders slumped, and his eyes settled to the ground. He didn't move for another attack.

Hirako charged another Cero.

" _Negación,_ " Ulquiorra said, and in a flash of light they were both gone. The Cero blasted through thin air.

"Dammit!" Hirako tore off his mask. "Every fucking time!"

"…What did he mean by that?" Mashiro asked quietly. "He said 'mission accomplished,' what did he mean?"

"Not sure," the man growled. Glancing at Rukia's heavily bundled arm he added, "And we're not going to worry about it for now. Let the Shinigami scramble to figure it out."

Feeling the shirt start to soak with blood, Rukia thought that wasn't a very good idea. What if they…

If she…

She was losing her train of thought. When Mashiro tugged her along, she followed.

Part IV

Renji couldn't hold back his yell of excitement when Hitsugaya encased the tentacled Arrancar in a mass of ice as big as his entire apartment complex.

"That's our Tōshiro!" Ichigo cried.

"What the hell?!" Yammy yelled. Renji aimed a spike right at the big guy's face in retribution, forcing him back and giving Ichigo an opening for attack.

Renji grinned. It really looked like they were going to win this thing!

The Fullbringer was forced back suddenly as a pillar of light came down from the sky, overtaking the huge mass of ice and breaking through it. For a second he thought that squirrely bastard had broken out of it himself, but when the shards fell away Luppi nearly fell down to his knees, frost clinging to him as he stumbled.

The other two were surrounded similarly, Yammy looking frustrated, while the small one just seemed bored. In the distance Renji could see a fourth.

"How unfortunate for you, little Captain," Luppi said with a smirk, rising in the air. "You don't get to kill me, today. Don't worry, though. I'm coming back, just to twist that tiny head of yours right off."

Even from this distance he could see Hitsugaya's eyes narrow in irritation.

"Mission accomplished, huh?" Yammy grumbled.

"You're kidding me," Renji growled. Was this what Rukia was feeling those days ago?

Above him Ichigo was scowling up at his opponent, Orihime standing beside him. Her fingers dug into her sleeve, worry plain on her face. Renji wasted no time running to them, or at least as close as he could get. They ended up meeting him the rest of the way, blurring onto the ground.

"I think we may have been duped," Hitsugaya said in a low voice.

"'Mission accomplished,' what mission?" Orihime asked. "You don't think…" She glanced at Ichigo, lips pursed.

"I'm not sure," he answered, "but we should check our bases. Renji, you and I are going to check in on Uryuu, and…" he hesitated, looking to the other gathering Shinigami, "does anyone know where Rukia might be?"

Matsumoto was the one to step forward. "She should be with the Visoreds. After that she usually just goes home."

"Make sure she gets there safely," Ichigo ordered, "and the rest of y–" He cut himself mid turn as he was met with Hitsugaya's harsh glare.

The Captain cleared his throat. "The rest of you search the area for anything suspicious. I'll return to the Shiba Shop and report what I can to the Captain Commander."

"Yes, sir!" everyone chorused, then they dispersed. Ichigo pulled Renji aside.

"Lead the way," the Shinigami said.

"Okay…" Renji said, a little weakly. He'd only been to Ishida's place once. Hopefully he still remembered where it was.

(He also made a mental note to check on Rukia as soon as he had a chance. It didn't take a genius to figure out she'd gotten into her own fight, too.)

The group split up into their assigned tasks, and in the end, it was Orihime that was left with searching duty alongside Madarame and Ayasegawa. If she were being perfectly honest, they were probably the _worst_ people to be sending for this kind of job, but she supposed they'd just have to work with what they had, here.

"Madarame," she called softly, "could you look from above and see if there's anything strange? Ayasegawa, you can stay on the ground with me. We should be able to cover more space together."

The other Third Seat let out a deep sigh like he wasn't any happier with this than she was, but in the end, he still groaned out an, "Alright," before jumping high into the air and out of sight.

"How undignified," Ayasegawa grimaced. "I suppose I'll take this side." He pointed towards a cluster of upturned rocks and torn shrubbery. That left Orihime with the splintered trees.

"That's alright with me," she answered with a frown.

Now, she wasn't the best sensor, but she was observant when need be, and didn't mind getting a little dirty. So, slipping on a pair of medical grade gloves she started digging through the rubble.

She found nothing for a long while, hefting piece after piece aside, looking for so much as a clue that something was wrong, here. Eventually she started considering calling the other two in to search elsewhere.

Then, she spotted a glimmer of _something_ in the hollow of a tree, something that certainly shouldn't have been there. She dug in, pulling out what appeared to be a glass eye.

The iris was a teal green, not a terribly common color, especially for this region. Just as she brought it up to get a closer look at it, the iris swiveled, looking right at her, pupil constricting. It turned hot with Reiryoku, and she realized suddenly that she had about a second to react. She tossed it in the air, dragging out her Zanpakuto.

"Blossom, Shun Shun Rikka!" she called, and just as the device begun to self-destruct, two butterflies came to its side, forcing the pieces to stay in place.

With hesitation she brought it back to her, letting out a sigh of relief when she realized it was still somewhat recognizable, though the singed inner mechanisms were partially exposed, now. Then the reality of what she was holding sunk in. Her brow furrowed.

Someone was watching them, someone that had slipped in and out of here without anyone noticing. She didn't quite know what that meant yet, but it could be nothing good.

Orihime cradled the device, heading towards the Eleventh Divisioners. The others needed to see this.

Part V

"I'm fine," Rukia repeated.

Across from her stood a wholly unconvinced Matsumoto. Rukia grimaced, unsure of what she could even say, here.

The woman had come bursting into her house a few minutes ago looking quite frazzled. The first thing she did was look Rukia over, drilling her with questions all the while.

 _"_ _What happened?"_

 _I got into a fight with Jaegerjaquez._

 _"_ _What else?"_

 _This other Arrancar… Ulquiorra, something or other. He interrupted it._

 _"_ _And?!"_

 _…_ _And?..._

Things after Hirako appeared got blurry, honestly. Ushōda told her she was probably in shock, which made sense since her hand had nearly been severed. He splinted and bandaged it so heavily that she could barely even twitch her fingers, but hey, at least she could still _feel_ her fingers.

(Well, most of them.)

Barely a minute after Matsumoto arrived, Byakuya came running in looking downright panicked until he finally saw Rukia. She honestly didn't understand _this_ reaction.

Currently he was sitting at the table, one hand on his head and the other on a cup of coffee, looking like he'd just come back from a twenty-hour shift at the office.

"I'll just be a few minutes," Rukia insisted. She just needed a moment alone to clear her head. Was that so wrong?

"I'm not taking that chance," Matsumoto said back. "I let you out of my sight and Ichigo will have my head on a stick by morning. You're staying here until we can figure out what's going on with the… uh… club tomorrow."

Rukia glanced at Byakuya. "Okay," she sighed out.

When she slipped out through the window while Matsumoto was in the bath, she sent the woman a silent apology.

She ran for a time, if only to avoid getting dragged back so quickly, but running wasn't what she was here for. She had some… things to work through, right now.

If Hirako hadn't been there during her fight with Jaegerjaquez, she would have died, plain and simple. Oh, she had the Arrancar struggling for a bit. She put him through quite the ringer, but the fact was that she was still painfully behind.

With a frown she brough her hands up her face, hitting both sides hard. She let out a yelp when her injured wrist flared with pain.

"Rukia?"

The girl stopped herself, realizing she was one step away from knocking into Renji's mom of all people, groceries stacked high in the woman's arms. Looking up she realized his apartment was barely a block away.

 _Of course,_ she thought. _Of course, I walked here without even thinking about it._

"Hello, Miss Abarai," Rukia finally said. The woman gave her a crooked smile, walking on. Rukia kept step beside her.

"If you're looking for Reni, I'm pretty sure he's with that friend of yours, Uryuu, and– wait, are you okay?" Her eyes turned wide as she pointed at Rukia's wrapped swollen hand.

"Just, uh…" According to Renji, she knew, right? "Just a little fight, and uh… no, I'm just taking a walk. I hadn't even realized I'd come here, actually."

"Well," the woman's smile became worried, though she tried to hide it, "you're welcome in. I just bought sodas, after all."

"Thanks." Rukia just might take her up on that offer but, "I need to do something, first, though."

"It's an open invitation," the woman said warmly.

Rukia's heart just about melted at that. Somehow Renji's mom always managed to make her feel that way. She watched as the woman walked up to her apartment door, waving as she disappeared through. Without really thinking walked to the back of the building, hopping the fence to the cemetery.

She wandered in, noting the patch repairs that were being made after her and Jaegerjaqeuez's initial fight. She walked right past, not stopping until tombstones came into view and sat heavily on the nearest bench. It wasn't really her first choice for a thinking spot, but it just might do for today.

Letting out a breathy sigh she braced her hands against her knees, eyes on the ground. Rukia… had some work to do, and she knew it. She was behind in the fight, but she hardly needed another pep talk from Sode to know that it didn't have to stay that way. Her speed was getting there, so was her spell work and Mask, they just needed some extra practice.

And really, what was she complaining about? She went toe to toe with the Sixth… until she ran out of time. (That's not even mentioning his unused Ressureción.)

Okay, so maybe she needed a lot of work, but…

 _Dammit!_ She was tired of getting like this every time she lost. What was it that Captain Shiba had said about "youngsters taking losses too personally?"

He'd probably lost plenty of times. He wouldn't be a Captain if he'd let it hit him this hard every time!

Yeah, she had work to do, but that was okay. Live to fight another day, right? She'd kick Jaegerjaquez's ass for real, next time, and Aizen wouldn't be too far behind. In fact, she was going to talk to Sode right now. They were working double until she reached a full minute with the Mask in Bankai.

She got up from the bench feeling as invigorated as she had when the day began, and the second she turned around she saw Ulquiorra looking down at her with cold eyes.

* * *

 **Four more chapters until the end of the arc. I'm excited! (Yadda, yadda, yadda, reviews give me life.)**


	47. XLVII

**The arc is coming to a close and I'm starting to contemplate what the next one will be like, how long it will be until the next. You'll get an official announcement soon, hopefully.**

* * *

Part I

The gathered Shinigami sat around Kukaku's dining room table. All looked grim. All looked ready to either punch something, or collapse (or perhaps both), and though he couldn't speak for any of the others, Ichigo felt about as tense as a bowstring, ready to snap.

"You found _this_ at the scene of the fight," Kukaku said slowly. Her hand hovered over the shielded remains of Orihime's find, fingers illuminated by the glow.

The Fourth Divisoner nodded solemnly. "Chances are it was watching us the entire time."

"And I'd bet it's not the only one," Ichigo growled out. " _Fuck,_ we don't even know how long they've been watching us."

Yoruichi leaned back, looking about as casual as she could. The look in her eye gave it away, though. "Probably not as long as you're thinking," she said. "They gave it away when they said, 'Mission Accomplished' before running off."

"See, that's where you're losing me," Ikakku grumbled. "You keep on talking about this mission, but last time I checked, they didn't even take anything! They just planted some stupid _thing_ that we found almost immediately. What the hell did they 'accomplish?'"

They did a little more than that, Ichigo thought cynically. He glanced across the room to Tōshiro who looked to be forcing himself awake, bandages creeping up from under his shirt, to Ikkaku and Yumichika's harsh bruises. His thoughts even went to his own aching back. They were exhausted, and certainly not by chance.

"That's for us to find out," Kukaku said firmly. She turned to her nephew. "You're positive that Rukia and Uryuu are fine?"

"Absolutely," Orihime stressed, "Renji is with Uryuu right now, and Rukia has–"

 _Briiing! Briiing! Briiing!_

With a frown Kukaku dug into her kimono, pulling out her phone and flipping it open.

"…It's Rukia." She muttered. She answered the call. "Hey, we were just talking about you… Rukia?"

Her frown deepened. She took the phone from her ear, looking at the display once more. The call was still going. Rukia's caller ID could be seen clearly.

"Rukia?" she called again into the microphone.

"What is it?" Yoruichi asked.

"She called but she's not saying anything," Kukaku grumbled. "Rukia!" Suddenly the line went dead for all to hear.

"Perhaps a misdial?" Orihime offered in a quiet voice.

Ichigo stood up suddenly. "I'm going to check on her."

Kukaku let out a growl. "Damn, and just when I was going to install a tracker. Yoruichi, could you–?"

"On it," the woman said. In the next moment she was gone, out of the door in burst of air.

"I doubt I could keep up with her," Ichigo admitted with a grimace, taking a stiff step forward. "I can at least cover our bases, though."

"I'm not letting you go alone," Orihime nearly commanded. "You're still hurt." Ichigo started to protest but was cut off before he could even get a word out.

"We have strength in numbers," Tōshiro said in a rough voice. "She's the best one to have with you in case a fight arises."

Ichigo almost groaned. There was no arguing with that one. "Okay," he said to Orihime, "you're coming, too, then."

She beamed back.

Part II

The sun had nearly set, the sky having turned a deep navy, and under it stood Rukia, staring right at her sworn enemy. She reached towards her front pocket for her Soul Candy.

Ulquiorra's eyes caught it immediately. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Rukia's hand hovered mere centimeters from the dispenser, her heart pounding. She allowed her hand to settle to the side, drifting to the phone in her back pocket. She couldn't do it now while he was looking, but when the moment arose…

"This is pretty bold of you," she tried. "You're here alone and with so many Shinigami close by. It'll be _what,_ one minute, two, before they get here?"

"I've been going undetected thus far," he said with a shrug. He reached into his pocket, drawing out what looked like a glass eye. "Besides, I have collateral."

His eyes averted for just a moment, barely long enough for her to pull out her phone and press the number that had Kukaku on speed dial. She let it ring quietly, and then finally saw what Ulquiorra was trying to show her.

The eye acted as a projector, holograms lighting up in the air. In them was what seemed to be live video feed.

She saw Renji nodding off on an unfamiliar couch, Ishida silently curled up under the covers, Ichigo sitting stiffly at a table with other Shinigami, all looking worn down, all looking tired. That still didn't manage to be as worrying as seeing her brother pacing their living room or Miné settling down for a beer at the table, staring at the front door and wondering.

"Is that supposed to intimidate me?" Rukia asked. She was bluffing. It intimidated her plenty. She could already feel the panic settling in as sweat ran down her neck.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, easily seeing through her. All she could do in return was growl under her breath.

"What do you want?" she asked stiffly.

"Cooperation."

She scoffed. "Threaten me all you want. I'm not working for you."

"Lord Aizen desires nothing so extreme," he said flatly. "He is simply interested in your progress and has asked that I bring you to him. You'd stay at Hueco Mundo as a guest."

 _Prisoner,_ he meant. "No," she said immediately. "There is absolutely no way I'm becoming that bastard's… _guinea pig_."

"Well," he said amicably, "I suppose that is your choice."

He raised a hand, pointed straight at the apartment complex through the trees, a cero charging, heat building up. Rukia's heart dropped.

" _Wait, don't!_ " she rushed out. The light at his hand dimmed. He turned to her, look unreadable.

"I don't make idle threats, Substitute. It would be no issue to dispose of all here if you decide to refuse."

"They…" she stuttered out, "they wouldn't… they'd… they'd fight back. You wouldn't be able to…"

"Some might," he agreed. Then, he spared another glance at what little could be seen of the apartments. "It would be doubtful that they'd win, however. They're weakened, and even at full strength they struggle against our just our Number Six."

Rukia's hands shook. She took in a shuddering breath and shut her phone.

"That's what this was all about," she said quietly.

"So, what is your answer? It was as you said. You have one minute, less, now."

She almost felt like laughing. "I… I don't have a choice, do I?"

"You do."

The words rang in her ears, heavy and oppressive. Rukia looked back to the still lit holograms, wondering for a moment when they'd gotten blurry.

(There were tears welling up in her eyes, she figured. With a deep breath she swallowed them down.)

"I'll… go with you."

The Hollow looked at her flatly, a hand reaching into his shirt. "It seems we have reached an agreement, then. You'll need this."

He pulled out a simple metal bracelet, though even from this distance she could tell there was something strange about it. He tossed it to her, the girl nearly fumbling the catch.

"Put it on," he ordered. "It will help you go undetected."

She put it on her good wrist, feeling nothing.

"You will meet me at the crater in the park before sunrise. Do what you must, thought I warn you; you are permitted to say goodbye to one person and one person alone."

The threat there was implicit. Violate this and they die. Rukia nodded, staring at the ground. He left with not a word more, disappearing without her notice. The second he did, though, Rukia fell like a puppet whose strings were cut.

She landed boneless on the ground, barely even noting the impact, and with a sniffle she curled inwards, wrapping her arms around her knees. Her phone dropped to the ground with a hollow thud, and she made no move to pick it up when it rang.

 _What on earth was she going to do?_

Part III

When Renji jerked awake, it was with the alarm of someone that hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep. It was also with the alarm of someone that woke up on an unfamiliar couch, and it took a moment for his brain to catch up to him–

There was a loud pounding at the door, he realized, and it was probably the thing that woke him up. It was insistent, startling. He dragged himself to his feet, taking a glance at the clock.

 _9:26PM_

The time alone startled him awake further. He rushed to the door.

" _What is i_ –?"

Ichigo shoved past him.

"She's not here, is she?" the Shinigami asked quickly, looking around, probably sensing for things that Renji couldn't.

"What's going on, here?" Renji snapped back.

It was Orihime that answered in a strained voice, "Rukia's missing. We're not quite sure what happened, yet, but according to Lieutenant Matsumoto–"

"I _told_ Rangiku not to let her out of her sight, and what does she do?!" Ichigo yelled.

Orihime bit her lip. "She left home over an hour ago. No one's seen her since."

Renji's heart stuttered. "W-we don't know that anything bad's happened," he tried. "She could be off training or something. She usually does that after a fight, anyway."

"If it was just that Yoruichi would have found her by now," Ichigo bit out, "and we haven't gotten anything from her since she ran off."

"Shit…" Renji cursed. " _Shit!_ "

"We need to keep searching," Orihime told Ichigo.

Renji gulped heavily. "Okay, I think I can help. Yoruichi might be a tracker, but she doesn't know Rukia like I do."

Ichigo looked to Orihime pointedly, conflicted. The medic gave him one solid nod. "As long as you can keep up…"

" _I will._ "

The looked Ichigo gave Renji was suddenly much more confident.

The three ran out, after that, Renji pushing himself to keep up as they ran to their next destination. All the while, Renji was already making a mental list of places she might be.

He forced himself to remember that this was _Rukia_ they were talking about. She was one of the strongest people he knew. There was no way she'd just let herself get taken without a fight.

No, he had a pretty good idea of where she might be. He just needed to check. He yelled out where he thought they should head, first.

"Right, we'll go there, then!" Ichigo yelled back.

They'd find her, Renji thought to himself. Of that, he was sure.

Part IV

The bracelet, as she learned, had some odd effects.

It was downright surreal walking down the darkened streets, seeing Yoruichi's blurred form right in the corner of her eye. She looked up, seeing a flash of orange blow by overhead, not even stopping, not even noticing.

With that, she knew the bracelet worked, at least.

She continued walking aimlessly after that. The Hollow had given her permission to settle what she needed, even say goodbye to someone, but somehow just thinking of that made her stomach hurt.

Yes, she had options. She could take care of some things at home and subtly tip Matsumoto off, give the Shinigami some room to prepare. That wasn't technically against the rules. _Though it was far too risky,_ she quickly realized.

Her next option involved instead seeing her brother one more time, but that was quickly thrown out of the window. She'd just start crying and probably ruin everything somehow, not to mention leave him horribly confused.

She could see the Visoreds, but Ulquiorra had been very specific when saying _one person_ and they were hardly ever alone.

Maybe she should just go to Miné's and apologize for standing her up like that. The woman was probably worried right now (or maybe she thought nothing of it, Rukia couldn't be sure). Still, that had her running the risk of seeing…

 _Renji._

She wanted to say goodbye to Renji so bad it hurt. The only thing keeping her was the fact that she knew exactly what he would say. He'd grab her by the shoulders, shake her, and yell at her about how she should have just trusted them to save themselves.

She took a moment to mentally correct herself. If he knew the kind of danger his mom was in, then, he may not be so sure. Still, she knew that seeing him would hurt her more than anything.

So, she kept on walking, looking up at the sky of Karakura and hoping that this wasn't the last time she'd see it. (The starts were surprisingly beautiful. Why hadn't she noticed that, before?)

She glanced back down, jerking to a stop when she realized she'd nearly run over some poor elderly woman locking the front of a shop. Rukia barely brushed against her, before quickly stepping back. The lady's head snapped up.

"Sorry," the girl said immediately, "I wasn't paying attention."

The woman continued to look around, turning towards Rukia, the dog at her feet barking twice before seemingly losing interest. She shrugged, tucked her key away, and walked off, muttering something about supplies she needed to order.

A shock went through Rukia's system then, and she looked down at the bracelet, collapsing back against the shop's front door. The bracelet worked a little too well, it seemed. It didn't just hide her presence. It made her invisible entirely. It was like she was a ghost.

Realizing that, felt strangely surreal to Rukia, but somehow it made her laugh. What was next, walking through walls?

She fell to the side, the door collapsing under her. The fall had her hissing in pain from how badly it jostled her wrist.

"What the…" Looking up at the door she realized with a start that it was both intact and still not only closed but locked.

 _This was just all too weird._

Climbing to her feet, she took in her surroundings. She was in a sewing shop, by the looks of things. Fabric lined the walls, the shelves were well stocked with yarn, needles, and various notions. Some supplies she recognized, others she didn't.

Saying goodbye to Ishida may not be a bad idea, she thought suddenly. She didn't think it would have her breaking down crying, at the very least, and he'd probably be smart enough to realize what would happen without her having to give away too much. If only he were conscious.

She'd better throw that idea away, then.

"What am I even doing?" she asked herself. "I'm just wandering around making myself miserable. I should just go already and get this over with.

"Then again," she argued with herself, "that's probably just what he wants. This is all just some weird mind game, anyway. Why else would he allow this?"

No, she thought. She liked the idea of making him wait just a little longer.

Rukia walked out the same way she came, a shiver going down her spine as she moved through solid wood. She decided to, at least, pick her next destination consciously this time, somewhere that she'd like to see that hopefully wouldn't involve a full-blown break down.

She walked to the town square, glancing at some of the shops and restaurants. A few looked to still be open. The theater was even doing some midnight screenings, right now. She wouldn't even have to pay to see one.

 _See, take little victories where you can!_ That thought somehow rang hollow to her.

She walked past the few lit displays, ignoring the restaurants entirely. It wasn't like she could get anything to eat in her state, not that she was even hungry, right now. She gave a mental commentary on things she thought looked interesting, on things she thought didn't, and dodged the few people still walking around.

Glancing up at the box office display she considered her options. When she quickly realized that she didn't recognize a single one of those titles she let out a deep sigh.

Maybe she'd just sit at the fountain, then, and consider the merits of drowning herself in it.

(She winced inwardly at the thought. That was meant to be joke, but even in her own mind, it sounded… dark.)

"Rukia!" a voice called out suddenly. She turned, alarmed, seeing Ichigo and Orihime in Gigai, running down the street. Plenty of pedestrians looked on, confused.

"Rukia!" the voice called again. It wasn't Ichigo and it certainly wasn't Orihime. Right behind them she saw Renji, huffing and puffing. She pressed herself against the nearest wall, concentrating to not fall straight through.

"RUKIA!" he yelled as loud as he could. It almost hurt her ears.

He turned, looking around wildly, and for a split second she thought he met her eyes. He cursed to himself, then, before he kept on running. Without even meaning to, she outstretched a hand to him, missing the collar of his shirt by just a hair. He didn't look back.

 _Come back…_

The thought was traitorous, and instantly she was cursing herself for even _daring_ to think it. She bit her lip, stomped away, and didn't realize it at first when she started crying. The only thing that alerted her to it was the tight feeling in her chest and the thought that she couldn't breathe. Her hands wiped away tears as they came, but they just wouldn't stop. She ran out of the town square.

Her feet took her to the edge of the park, and without even seeing herself, she knew she looked pathetic. There was snot dripping down her face, her eyes felt absolutely raw, and there was _no way_ she was going to Ulquiorra looking like this. She rubbed her face down the best she could with her shirt before marching down to the crater, fists clenched. She stopped right at its lip.

Ulquiorra sat in the center on an upturned rock. In a flat tone he said, "You are here earlier than I expected. Are you ready?"

 _No,_ she thought. "Yes," she said firmly.

With a snap of his fingers a portal opened behind him. He stood up, beckoning her with a hand. She followed him without another word.

Part V

Renji felt something that he could barely put into words as he walked back up to Ishida's apartment, sometime on the worse half of Twelve AM. They had searched just about everywhere they could think of and had come back with absolutely nothing. Rukia wasn't at any of their usual hangouts, wasn't at home, and the Visoreds wouldn't even talk to them to confirm if she was over there.

(He must have stood outside of that shitty hideout for nearly an hour, practically screaming his lungs out as he tried to get them to _open up dammit!_ They never said a word. Ichigo and Orhime left about halfway through, probably out of second-hand embarrassment, or even worse _pity_ , not that he'd blame them.)

Hours of searching amounted to nothing. Eventually Ichigo had said, "We'll have to stop for the night. Maybe something else will turn up tomorrow."

He tried arguing. Oh, he tried, but without any idea better than "run around aimlessly until sunrise," Renji didn't have a leg to stand on. The two Shinigami headed back to Kukaku's and Renji was left to go back to Ishida's. He trudged into the apartment, practically slamming the door on his way in.

He slumped down into the couch, head in his hands, not even bothering to look up when muffled footsteps came near. Ishida yawned quietly from the hallway.

"What…" he mumbled from the entryway. He yawned again. "What are you doing here?" He glanced at the clock, eyes narrowing. "What time is it, even?"

"Arrancar attacked, remember?" Renji said through his hands. "You've been out all day."

Ishida blinked a few times, eyes starting to focus. "Yeah…" he muttered. He took another good look at Renji. "What's got you like this?"

"Rukia's gone. No one knows what happened."

Ishida paled. "You're kidding."

"It's like she just… vanished into thin air!" he yelled. "How the hell does someone just disappear?"

The phone on Ishida's wall rang loudly, suddenly. The two glanced at each other, and in a moment Renji was scrambling up to answer it.

"Hello!" he nearly yelled into the receiver.

 _"_ _Renji?"_ his mom asked on the other side. He almost dropped the phone.

"Mom?! How did you get this number?"

 _"_ _That friend of yours, me and his father ran into each other yesterday. He was happy to give it to me,"_ he heard Ishida let out a noise of annoyance beside him, _"but that's not important right now! Do you know where Rukia is?"_

"…No, we don't."

 _"_ _Darn it!"_ The line crackled for a moment. He could hear rustling on the other end. _"Honey, Rukia came by earlier today. She said she was going to come up to the apartment later, but she never did. Oh, I should have called earlier! If only I hadn't dozed off…"_

"That's alright, mom!" he rushed into the receiver. "When did you see her?"

 _"_ _Around Eight, I think."_

Renji's heart stuttered to life. "Thanks! We'll be right over!"

He slammed the phone back on its dock, turning to Ishida.

"We're going, right?" the archer asked.

"Oh, we're going."

The two rushed over to Renji's apartment, not even slowing down until they reached the lot.

"Your mother was the last one to see her," Ishida surmised, "so if Orikasa was taken, it couldn't have been far from here."

"Problem is," Renji started, "there's nothing but apartments and houses down here. If a fight happened, we would be looking at the aftermath right now, and I don't know about you, but I don't see any rubble."

"That's assuming there was a fight," the Quincy said pointedly.

"Rukia wouldn't go down without one!"

Ishida frowned at that, tapping his fingers on his arm impatiently. "Okay," he tried, "then where do you think a fight may have happened."

Renji looked around, thinking for a moment. He glanced behind the apartment building to the fenced off cemetery.

"There," he said, pointing. "She ran into this weird blue-haired Hollow over there. Who knows, he might have fought her here again."

He didn't wait for a response before jumping the fence and running, though he did hear Ishida mutter behind him, "Blue-haired Hollow? You'll really have to catch me up, soon."

They walked past the patch job at the original fight, walking straight through the main garden. There was no new rubble, no destroyed trees, not even a single puddle of melted ice. It looked like nothing had happened.

Great, he'd gotten it wrong again! What a good friend _he_ was not even being able to do this one little thi–!

"What's this?" Ishida asked. He was crouched down in the grass. Gingerly he held a silver flip phone, a Chappy charm dangling from the top. Renji snatched it away immediately.

"It's hers!" he cried out, turning it over. "She _was_ here!"

He opened it up, flipping through, quickly finding Kukaku's number. The woman answered immediately.

 _"_ _Rukia?!"_ she cried.

"Sorry," Renji said, "not her, but I'm pretty sure I found something important, here."

He explained their situation the best he could, starting with his mom's phone call.

 _"_ _I'll send Yoruichi right away,"_ Kukaku said finally. _"Thank the gods–"_

The line cut off. Renji pocketed the phone, only to see Ishida looking at him strangely.

"What?" Renji scoffed.

Ishida averted his eyes. "Nothing. Just thinking." Renji half expected a jab at his expense to come quickly after, but it never did.

It barely took a minute for Yoruichi to arrive, nearby leaves rustling with her entrance.

"Of course," she muttered, "the one place I didn't think to check." She turned to the two boys. "Kukaku told me everything. I can take it from here." Her eyes were already darting around the scene, the woman taking in everything she could.

Ishida frowned. "No!" Renji exclaimed. "We're sticking around until we find her!"

"You could do that," she said with a raised eyebrow, "but you'd be here well into tomorrow, and no offense, but you look like you're going to pass out on your feet, kid."

Renji was fine, he thought with a growl. He _felt_ fine. (He could ignore the burning of his eyes, thank you very much.) He… could admit that Ishida looked a bit worn out, though. The Quincy's glasses were askew. He was still in pajamas, and somehow the energy he was giving out felt… different, though Renji couldn't quite place how.

Renji stared at Yoruichi for a moment longer. Ishida couldn't seem to be able to look at her at all. " _Fine,_ " Renji bit out, "but we'll be back tomorrow."

Yoruichi gave him a strained smile. "Good, go get some rest. Maybe even try and go to school. It'll probably make you feel better."

He seriously doubted that.

The two stalked off, just stopping when they reached the front of Renji's apartment.

"I don't like this," Ishida said. Good, for once they agreed. "We're just trusting the Soul Society to take care of things from here?"

Renji forced himself to untense. He had to remember what Captain Ukitake had told him. They swore to protect Rukia.

"I hate to say this, but it's all we got," Renji muttered. "We're gonna have to do what she says."

"Yeah," Ishida spat out, "and hope they don't screw us over again."

Renji gulped. He'd expect they'd find out soon.

* * *

 **I usually do my chapters in three phases, with a rough draft, a second draft, and then a proof read, hence why I take long breaks between arcs, but usually get each chapter posted within a week of each other. This was a chapter I really enjoyed reading back.**

 **I'd love to hear your thoughts on how this one went, or even just your hopes for this next arc. The next chapter will be all about the set up for the inevitable rescue while the final interlude should be a bit of crucial backstory. After that ?**

 **(Your reviews give me life ?)**


	48. XLVIII

**Preparations begin.**

* * *

Part I

The two Shinigami squatters were missing most of yesterday, only stumbling into Keigo's home well past midnight. They were louder than they really should have been at that hour, grumbling to each other in the dark. Keigo was surprised that Paku could stay dead asleep next to him through the whole thing.

(They had only cuddled, had maybe made out a bit, and Keigo couldn't bring himself to be disappointed about it. It felt nice, even. Besides, with her having such a tenuous grasp on what sex even was [and with him being more intimidated by the concept than he'd _ever_ admit] it was for the best.)

Careful not to jostle her he crawled out of bed, tiptoeing to the door. Just as he heard steps coming near through the hall, he pressed his ear against it, keeping his breath steady and low.

 _"…_ _probably getting overtime for this,"_ he heard Yumichika groan.

 _"_ _Screw overtime,"_ Ikakku bit out. _"She was a fighter. This doesn't make any gods damned sense."_

Yumichika let out a sigh. _"These things rarely do… Come on. Let's get cleaned up. Whatever's going to happen, we'll know in the morning."_

Their voices faded away after that as they disappeared through the creaky bathroom door, and Keigo was left to stew over what the heck that all meant. The next morning, he and Paku parted ways. He headed to school, last night's events weighing on his mind.

He arrived to see all the new "transfer students" missing, which was pretty typical of them. They all had spotty attendance at best, not that any of the teachers seemed to notice. Then and again he'd catch one or two of them at the beginning of the day (it was usually Ikkaku, fresh out of morning practice for the kendo club he'd gotten roped into joining _somehow_ ) but that was usually it.

Even less strange was seeing Ishida and Renji whispering to each other conspiratorially before the bell rang. Most of the class had become desensitized to that particular friend group's antics a while ago. The fact that Keigo knew why they acted the way the did made him all but blind to it.

Perhaps the least strange of all was not seeing Rukia in class that day. She didn't even burst in through the door at the last minute, some excuse on her tongue. It seemed like everyone was off on crazy training trips nowadays.

(Keigo's senses may have been shit, but he could tell that Renji and Ishida were different after their absences.)

She was probably just following suit with her friends. It made sense considering _whatever_ happened yesterday. He wasn't there to see it, _thank god,_ but according to Paku something big had gone down, big enough that even with her wounds mostly healed she wanted nothing to do with it.

So, yeah, there was nothing to worry about. Rukia had probably just gotten a little banged up, had her pride bruised, and needed somewhere to cool off and power up for a bit. With that in mind he settled into his seat and tried not to fall asleep as the lecture began.

He was the only one who noticed Ichigo appearing through the window two minutes before lunch, tapping on the glass to get Renji and Ishida's attention. He was also the only one to notice that after lunch the two didn't come back to class.

Part II

When Ichigo told Renji and Ishida that they're all meeting at Kukaku's, something curled in Renji's stomach, bitter and cold. He'd been expecting it, but still… it felt familiar, and not in a good way. He was already anticipating whatever crazy twist the woman would have up her sleeve before they even left the school grounds.

Ishida ran beside him, saying nothing, but looking more alert than he had in over a day. Ahead of them ran Ichigo, explaining what he could, fists clenched.

"Yoruichi said everything's finally in," he called back.

"They know what happened?" asked Renji.

Ichigo paused, and Renji could just imagine the scowl that was on his face. "Well, they've got some theories. Hopefully we can go through all of them and figure out what the hell we're going to do next."

"What to–" Renji sputtered. " _I_ could tell you what to do next. We're going to Hueco Mundo and kicking Aizen's ass."

Suddenly, Ichigo ground to a halt. Just a block away Renji could see the rooftop of the Shiba Shop.

"It's not that simple," the Shinigami bit out. "We've got procedures."

"What like the ones that almost got you killed?" Renji snapped.

The stare that Ichigo sent him was withering. "I get it," he said in a low voice. "You're pissed off. I am, too. So, you better get it all out of your system now, because if you bring it in there both our asses are on the chopping block.

"Then more than the usual group will be there," Ishida observed.

"Yeah," Ichigo answered, "the Captain Commander's presiding. They're taking the incident pretty seriously, and honestly, they'd rather you two weren't there. _I_ insisted otherwise. So, play nice, got it?"

Renji closed his eyes, inhaling slowly, trying to calm his own anger. He replayed Captain Ukitake's words in his mind.

 _"_ _She won't be short of protection, I assure you."_

He'd better have meant it.

Renji opened his eyes, feeling a bit steadier. "Okay. I get it."

"Good."

The three walked the rest of the way to the meeting place ignoring the "closed" sign and walking right past the store front. Ichigo lead them to the dining room, already occupied by waiting Shinigami and something on the far wall that Renji had a hard time comprehending for a moment.

It looked like a giant TV screen picking up static, but instead of a normal plastic body there was a frame of what disgustingly looked like flesh. He tried to hold down whatever had bubbled up in his throat, instead turning his focus to the one person in the room that he hadn't been expecting.

Tatsuki Arisawa stood near the screen, a heavy frown on her face the moment the three walked in. The pitying look she shot Renji made him feel uncomfortable.

"Really, Ichigo?" she sighed out. "I'm gone for like two weeks and this manages to happen?"

"Guess I'm just a magnet for trouble, huh?" He said it in a way that was clearly meant to be joking, but the way it came out was almost… sad. Next to her Orihime looked ready to say something in response, but she was interrupted.

"The connection's set," Matsumoto said from her crouched position at the screen's corner. "Starting the transmission in three… two…"

The screen blinked to life, still fuzzy and full of interference, but Renji could make out the old man's long beard as well as the disapproving stare he sent first to him and then to Ichigo, a look that Ichigo carefully ignored.

His voice deep and gravelly he said, _"Lieutenant Arisawa, if you will."_

The girl cleared her throat, straightening out her back. "It has been found that Substitute Shinigami Rukia Orikasa was with an Arrancar at the moment of her disappearance. Evidence points towards this Hollow being one of Aizen's soldiers."

"Are you sure?" Orihime asked with a frown. "I've fought with those Arrancar. They were always very easy to find, and when she was taken… we didn't sense anything."

"We're positive," she answered with a grimace. "This one seems to be able to slip in and out of places unnoticed. Traces of him were found all over the town by Captain Urahara's machines. They're thinking he's the same one that appeared during the first invasion."

"So, Orikasa would have interacted with this Arrancar multiple times," Hitsugaya pointed out.

"There was one she'd talk about," Ichigo said. "A specific Arrancar was giving her a hard time, for some reason."

 _"_ _That's the theory we're acting by,"_ the Captain Commander said, _"but the implications are troubling."_

"Don't tell me…" Hitsugaya went pale. "You think it's possible she went willingly?"

Tatsuki sighed out, "Without any signs of a struggle, we have to at least consider it."

 _"_ _That's bullshit!"_ Ichigo and Renji yelled out in unison. They shared a surprised glance. Ichigo was the first to recover.

"Did you even hear what I said?" he asked. "She wanted to kick that Arrancar's ass, not make friends with him."

"It's just a theory!" Tatsuki yelled back. "Even Urahara thinks that idea is bullshit."

 _"_ _Yes,"_ the Captain Commander said with a deep frown. _"Captain Urahara leans more towards the idea that she may have been coerced in some way, though the possibility still remains that she could have been killed."_

"No," Renji said firmly. "Rukia wouldn't go down that easy. There's no way she's dead."

"Captain Yamamoto," Hitsugaya said diplomatically, "I believe it'd be best to treat things as if she were still alive, until we receive evidence to the contrary, at least."

 _"_ _In most circumstances I would agree, but…"_

"…But?" Orihime repeated softly.

 _"_ _These are hardly normal circumstances. You came here for orders on your next course of action. So, here are your orders. You are all to remain at your posts for the foreseeable future. There will be no rescue mission."_

The shock that went through Renji's stomach felt like a lightning bolt. The way that Tatsuki solemnly closed her eyes made him think that she had been expecting this all along.

"You're kidding me…" Ichigo gaped. He, apparently, had not.

 _"_ _No, I am not… Lieutenant Arisawa."_

"He's…" she let out a sigh. "We've learned a lot about Arrancar in the last few days, but the only thing we know about Aizen's base in Hueco Mundo is the name, _Las Noches_. Staging a rescue mission now…"

"It'd be suicide," Matsumoto said plainly. "We'd be going in blind, and the second we'd land they'd know we were there."

"Perhaps with enough forces it could safely be done," Hitsugaya said, "but by then it'd just be an invasion."

"Are you serious?!" Renji yelled. "Did you already forget that we literally just did that?"

" _You_ had an insider, a few, actually," Ayasegawa pointed out, "and from what I understand, no one was really trying to kill you, save for maybe _our_ Captain. These Arrancar won't be so kind."

"Procedures… remember?" Ichigo said this through teeth grit so hard Renji thought they might break.

"Captain Commander," Orihime tried. "If you could please reconsider–"

 _"_ _I have,"_ he cut off. _"I'm not invading Las Noches over a single Substitute, and I'm not sending any of you away for a suicide mission, no matter how badly you want it."_

"Don't give me that!" Renji bellowed. "The only reason she's even there is because one of _yours_ went psycho, and now all of a sudden your hands are tied?!"

Renji felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder and turned to see Ichigo, his gaze dark.

"I'm sorry sir," he said, "but there's no way we're just gonna sit back and do nothing. We're going after her."

"I…" Orihime squeaked, "I'm with him on this one. It'd be wrong to just leave her there, no matter how small our chances."

"Suicide mission or not," Tatsuki said, glancing between them, "we're doing it."

The Captain Commander closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. _"I had expected as much. It is a good thing I had prepared this."_

With that the line died, the screen going back to static. With a faint glow and a buzz of energy the wall beside them opened up, a Senkaimon appearing. Out of it stepped Captain Shiba and a lady Captain that Renji didn't recognize.

"Captain Unohana," Orihime gasped out.

"Dad…" Ichigo muttered.

"It'd be best if you came quietly," the man said, scratching the back of his neck. "Don't worry, we'll… we'll figure this out."

"We've been permitted to use force if necessary," Unohana said in a gentle voice. "Please, do not make it come to that."

For a moment the three defiant Shinigami had a standoff with their mentors. This ended when Orihime took a hesitant step forward, her Captain's hand settling on her back.

"You've gotta be shitting me," Tatsuki grumbled. She followed quietly.

Ichigo didn't say anything at all when he came in behind her, his dad's hand patting his shoulder. He just looked back at Renji, fire in his eyes.

 _This wasn't over yet._

The room awkwardly cleared out after that, everyone heading off to places that, honestly, Renji didn't give a damn about. Eventually, all that was left was him, Ishida, and that big ugly screen, display gone black a while ago.

Ishida let out a quiet laugh. "I don't know why I'm surprised."

"I am," Renji hissed out. "I'm fucking angry, too. You'd think they'd lift even one finger after all we did for them, but no…"

"In the old man's defense, she did try to kill him," the Quincy grumbled. Renji sent him a harsh glare. Ishida just rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. Of course, they were never going to help us. What we need to do is help ourselves."

"Storm Hueco Mundo, you mean."

"It wouldn't be the first time."

"I assume you'll need some help with that," a new voice called. In the doorway stood Kukaku Shiba, leaning casually, a humorless smile on her face.

Renji growled. "I'm pretty sure we don't need your kind of–"

"You can get us into Hueco Mundo?" Ishida interrupted.

Kukaku looked at Renji carefully, a frown on her face. "I can," she said, closing the door behind her. "No tricks, no angles, no agendas, not this time."

"Like we should believe you," Renji hissed.

"It doesn't matter if you believe me," the woman said harshly. "I'm your only ticket in. Now are you doing this, or not?"

Ishida sent Renji a look, one that Renji wouldn't meet, eyes instead glued to the ground. "We're doing this," the Quincy answered for the both of them. "I'm going to assume you have a plan?"

"Eh, kinda," the woman admitted. "Urahara ain't running this one, I am, and I've got a different philosophy when it comes to this sort of thing."

"…And that would be?"

"Go by your gut," she said with a grin. "You won't have any contacts or guides this time. Yoruichi can't help you, here, and I've made the executive decision to keep Ganju and Paku out of this one."

 _"_ _What?!"_ someone yelled from the other side of the door. Renji could hear Ganju making pleas for Paku to _stay quiet, dammit!_ Before he could even finish, the door was being flung open, Paku angrily marching in. The big guy stood behind her, hand to his face in exasperation.

"One of those Arrancar nearly killed you!" Kukaku yelled, not seeming nearly surprised as she probably should have been. Her brother opened his mouth to protest, but she wouldn't even let him get a word out. "And you don't even have any powers! You got lucky last time, but I'm not risking it again, got it?"

Ganju crossed his arms, back against the wall, Paku silently fuming. The words had Renji feeling a little uneasy, though. They really had no support here, did they? It'd just be the two of them.

"We can do it," Renji insisted. "We'll do it alone if we have to."

Kukaku grimaced. "I'll send you support as soon as I can, but right now…"

"With the Shinigami so against this, we just don't have any options," Ishida said for her.

"Then alone it is," Renji said with a nod.

"We'd better prepare, then," Ishida muttered. It'd be a trick getting them both out of school for this one, but it'd be worth it, Renji thought. "I would like to know, though, what are we to expect when we arrive?"

Kukaku grinned. "In a word: _hell_. Hueco Mundo ain't like the Soul Society, kids. It's a desert wasteland just filled to the brim with things that want to kill you. That's nothing compared to Las Noches, though.

" _Aizen's fortress._ No one knows what's inside, but it's easy to imagine. There'll be nothing but Arrancar, there. Even your average foot soldier can be pretty tough, but those aren't the ones you have to watch out for. No, those are the Espada, ten of Aizen's elite. It was one of _them_ that took Rukia, from what I gather. Honestly, I'm not sure if you two could take one, but it seems you're going to have to try."

Ishida frowned. Renji just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, we get it," he said. "It's gonna be tough. We knew that part, already. Now, can we go?" He had a mom to placate back at home.

Kukaku shrugged her shoulders. "It's not like I'm holding you here."

Renji didn't waste much time after that. He left, Ishida right behind him. On his way out he gave Ganju a solid pat on the shoulder. The responded with a crooked grin.

"Don't die on us, now," Ganju said.

Sending him his own shark like grin Renji left the shop, parting ways with Ishida at the door. They didn't say anything to each other when they left. They both knew what had to be done.

Part III

It wasn't as hard as Kukaku thought it would be, convincing her two charges that going to Hueco Mundo was the _worst_ possible idea. What was much more expected: the sheer distrust shown by the two she _was_ sending there.

Renji pulled no punches, as was his nature, and Ishida, he could barely look her in the eye. This was probably the first time the Quincy had even spoken to her since they'd gotten back. Still, though he was the more civil of the two, every look he _did_ send her had ranged from mistrust to full on hostility. Still, they were willing to cooperate. She didn't need them to like her, as long as she had that.

Only after everyone cleared out did exhaustion really hit Kukaku. In that moment her thousand years or so of life weighed on her in a way that it never had before. She'd get a stiff drink and promptly collapse in bed if she could, but that wasn't an option, right now. So, instead she ambled out to the front porch, waiting for Yoruichi to come with news.

(If recent trends meant anything, it wouldn't be good.)

She waited for maybe a minute or so before a presence neared, though it wasn't the one she was expecting.

"I thought you were dragged off by your dad," she said, not turning.

Behind her Ichigo settled against the wall, hands in his sleeves. "I came back," he said. "Something was bothering me."

She smiled, hand propping her up. "And what would that be, oh nephew o' mine?"

He smiled back. "I don't care what you told the others. I think you're up to something."

Her smile quirked downwards. The little shit was eavesdropping, wasn't he? "What, you don't trust me?"

"Of course, I don't. you raised me better than that."

Dang, if that didn't make a part of her feel proud. Another part felt completely heartbroken. She wasn't sure which side she should listen to.

"I don't have any grand plan, if that's what you're wondering," she said instead. "There's no conspiracy to uncover, here. The closest thing I have to an agenda is a mission to relieve a guilty conscience."

"…What?" Ichigo seemed genuinely confused, here.

"I have a lot of regrets in this life but putting Rukia on Aizen's radar is right near the top. The mission was never meant to go that way."

"I… put that much together," he grumbled. "I guess we don't always get what we want, huh?"

"Ha! You're learning," she laughed.

She could hear Ichigo shuffling for a moment, unsure. Eventually, he got the words out.

"I get what you were trying to do," he said. "It took me some time to come to terms with it, but sealing the Hōgyoku in me, you were just trying to protect me. If all had gone well, I'd probably still just be here, fighting Hollows with the others. It would have gotten rid of the Hōgyoku and kept me out of the war all in one go."

She shrugged, unable to face him.

"The part I don't get is why you didn't just tell us, all of us. You almost sent them to their deaths, and you won't even explain yourself… Well, now I'm asking you. Explain yourself."

She glanced back, catching a glimpse of his black uniform before staring back at her feet.

"I… I really thought I could do it," she said. "I thought I could protect everyone, make everyone happy. Well, look where that got me. Just about everything that could have gone wrong went wrong, and now that rotten _son of a bitch…_ "

She could practically feel herself shaking, anger coursing through her.

Aizen just had to take everything from her, didn't he? And no matter what he always left her just a half step behind.

"No," she said shakily. "No secrets, this time. We work together, like we always should have. We get her back and we show Aizen why you don't mess with the Shiba."

" _Okay,_ " Ichigo stressed. "We will, for Rukia…"

 _For Kaien._

Part IV

Uryuu watched as Abarai trudged off to his apartment, head down, and for once he really felt bad for his classmate. He could imagine what was going through that head of his right then, not that Uryuu felt equipped to comfort him about it.

He was pretty sure there was only one thing that would make Abarai feel better and standing on the sidewalk wasn't going to get that done. He had some arrangements to make. With that thought, he began his brisk walk, mind working.

Now, Uryuu was at the top of his class. However long it took to get Rukia back, he was sure his grades could handle it. Besides, regular people had a funny way of temporarily "forgetting" those that did a bit of dimension hopping.

(Orikasa's name not even being called at roll did not escape his notice.)

There was no point in calling the school, he figured. He'd just get whatever he needed and go. He could stop by the hideout to grab some useful things, pack whatever food was nonperishable back at the apartment, and finally take all of tomorrow to sew his new uniform. All of that would take a while, but he could get it done, no problem.

 _You should tell him._

Uryuu stiffened, scolding himself for that thought. He shook his head furiously. He hadn't told his dad about going to the Soul Society. Why would he tell him this?

 _Maybe because he worries?_

Uryuu scoffed at that. His dad wasn't really the worrying type. Had their recent meeting revealed some things about Ryuuken that he hadn't considered before? Perhaps, but that didn't mean… that…

Letting out a deep sigh, Uryuu changed directions, heading to the hospital. Gods permitting, the man would be too busy to see him.

It took maybe three minutes for Uryuu to reach the main lobby, and another five to explain to the receptionist that _no_ , he wasn't sick, but _yes,_ he wanted to speak with the head surgeon. When she finally made the call, he decided that if it took more than half an hour, he'd call the whole thing off.

He was brought up to his dad's office in less than ten minutes. _Dammit._

"Was it a slow day or something?" Uryuu asked sardonically.

Ryuuken raised an eyebrow. "I thought you _wanted_ to see me."

Uryuu's shoulders stiffened, an eye going back to the small window right at the door. The spying nurse drew back quickly, her faint Reiatsu signature moving away.

"Rukia was captured," he said point-blank. "Abarai and I are going after her."

Ryuuken's eyes widened, his fingers twitching like he was itching for a cigarette suddenly. Funny, there wasn't even an ashtray in the room. At home the man smoked like a chimney.

"I… see," the man said. "This is worse than I thought, then."

"You're not going to tell me not to go… are you?" Uryuu asked quietly.

"Would you listen if I did?"

Uryuu's chin jutted out defiantly. That was answer enough.

"No, I don't think I will," his father continued. "I also doubt that I have to stress the dangers of this to you, not if you've gotten this far."

"Kukaku Shiba gave me quite the run down," Uryuu said. "We have our work cut out for us it seems."

The deadpan look Ryuuken gave him told Uryuu plenty about what the man thought of his phrasing. Uryuu nearly winced. He probably couldn't get away with trying to let his dad down easy, could he. He needed the direct approach, here.

Uryuu cleared his throat. "I've decided that I'm coming back from the rescue mission."

Ryuuken blinked, expression unreadable. "That's not really something you get to decide."

"I just did," he said firmly. "I'm coming back alive and proving to you once and for all that being a Quincy isn't marking yourself for death, and once I do, you're reconsidering everything. I'll get you to be a Quincy again."

For a moment his father stared at him, and then the man did something that Uryuu hadn't seen him do in many, many years. He burst out into laughter.

"Y-you're more…" he wheezed through it, "…more naïve than I thought!" More laughter came through him. His office chair creaked as he leaned back into it, hands grasping his stomach.

It took a good few seconds for it to die down, and it left Uryuu feeling insulted. He may have stormed out had the man not finally answered him the in the next moment.

"Okay," Ryuuken said suddenly. "I agree to your terms."

"Are… are you serious?" Uryuu asked incredulously. The man nodded.

"I am."

Uryuu had to admit, he didn't think he'd get this far. "I'll hold you to it. We leave in two days, so, I'll see you… after."

"After," his father agreed.

Feeling the awkwardness rise, Uryuu began to take his leave, fingers dancing across the strap of his bag.

"You're more like your mother than you now," his father said suddenly. Uryuu stopped right before the door, eyes wide. "We should talk about her… when you return."

"I'd… like that."

Uryuu left the hospital feeling like he wanted to laugh, even though he was doing what some would consider the exact opposite, then. For once his father had him crying and it was a _good thing_. Wiping away everything as best as he could, he marched forward.

* * *

 **I'm weirdly fond of this chapter. Though we technically hit the midpoint of this story a while ago, this feels like the start of the second act to me. Characters be getting development, and a new quest with so many twists and turns will begin… in a few chapters… after a break. Two chapters to go! (Your reviews give me life…)**


	49. XLIX

**I'm not one for warnings, I assume that if you've read the manga you're prepared for anything I'll throw at you but this chapter includes some mentions of child abuse, so… yeah.**

* * *

Part I

Kukaku wasn't sure how to describe the last few hours, much less the last day.

One on hand, it seemed like everything went by entirely too quickly: events flashing by, people coming in and out, calls being made and taken, all the while she seemed barely aware of any of it. It was like she was reading a summary of the day, rather than experiencing it.

On the other hand, the day's events crawled painfully on as it became increasingly obvious that despite all this busyness, despite all this worrying and waiting, nothing would really get done, today. Each useless call and meaningless interaction went by with all the pacing and excitement of a slug.

It was all unbelievably frustrating, though hardly unfamiliar. (Gods, she felt like she needed a drink.)

She knew now was probably the _worst time_ to get tipsy, much less _sloshed_. Rukia needed Kukaku's full attention, right now, no distractions, no delays. So, she instead did something that she hadn't done in a good few decades. She sat on the back porch and smoked like a goddamned chimney.

It was a brand that she had liked way back when, one that she was surprised was still in business. It tasted different, somehow, she thought. That may have just been her imagination, though.

A presence flickered into existence beside the woman. Without even turning to look, she held out her pack, offering a stick.

"Can't," Yoruichi huffed. "I've barely got a minute to spare. Then, it's back to searching."

Kukaku set the pack down, taking another long drag from the cigarette in her fingers, the smoke leaving her mouth in a satisfying cloud. "So… You still haven't found them?"

The sigh that Yoruichi let out was even more telling then the words she next said. "It's like they've fallen off the face of the earth. I've checked just about all of Karakura, and I've gotten nothing. _Zip. Nada!"_ Her frustration was clear on her face.

"And the hideout?" Kukaku tried.

"Everything got left behind," she bit out. "They must have been in _quite_ the hurry."

"Dammit."

"That's my line…"

Kukaku stared at the ground, chewing on her lip. With a mixture of frustration and disappointment she smooshed her half-finished cigarette into the ash tray. "What's the plan?" she asked flatly.

"Keep looking, what else?" Yoruichi sighed out. "They've got a master Kidō practitioner, so it's possible I just missed something… Otherwise, we've got to start considering the possibility that they just _ran off._ "

"I doubt that," Kukaku said with a frown. "If those Visoreds were anything it was loyal. They wouldn't leave one of their own like this, not without good reason."

"So… you're thinking they had a reason?"

Kukaku pursed her lips, staying silent. Yoruichi grumbled something under her breath.

"Fine," the tracker mumbled, "don't tell me… But real quick, before I go, you should probably know that Byakuya isn't taking this very well."

Kukaku stiffened, her eyes widening. "Shit! I knew I forgot something!"

Yoruichi barely suppressed a grimace, here. "Yeah, I figured when I ran into him. Poor guy had literally no idea what was going on. I, of course, had the glorious job of telling him and then also talking him out of going to Hueco Mundo _by himself._ "

"I can't believe I forgot," Kukaku moaned.

"Hey, if it helps, I doubt Byakuya even noticed you forgot. He was way too focused on Aizen for that, after what I told him."

"He wanted to go alone, in his state?" she asked incredulously.

"That's what I said." Yoruichi shook her head. "I'd keep an eye on that one if I were you."

"Oh, I will," Kukaku promised.

With a nod Yoruichi stood, stretching her arms out in a practiced motion before turning her eyes to the sky. "Then, it's time for me to go. I'll make sure to update you if I find anything. In the meantime…" She looked Kukaku up and down, an eyebrow raised. "You should probably get some rest, maybe a shower while you're at it."

"Thanks," Kukaku snorted.

Yoruichi gave her a smirk that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Any time."

The woman left after that, and suddenly Kukaku was alone again. For a moment she considered Yoruichi's suggestions.

She felts like she would really appreciate some rest right about now but doubted she had the time for it. She had a few more calls to make, a few more idiots to stop from doing something rash. Once that was all done, she might settle for a bit of sake induced slumber but until then, it was nothing but coffee and–

Running a hand through her hair, it suddenly struck her that if she had a mirror right now, she'd probably say the woman in the reflection needed some care, too. A shower seemed like a good idea.

She walked back into the shop. She had more work to do.

 _There was always more work to do._

Part II

Perhaps he had desired a distraction. Perhaps he had simply been through too much misfortune in his long, long life. Either way, Byakuya, barely four hours after Hisana's funeral, left Karakura town with little more than a brief case and a neatly organized file folder.

He had been gathering its contents since the very day Hisana had given him _that_ request. (She never was one to ask for much. She always said she never wanted to be a bother… He was getting off topic, wasn't he?)

What she had wanted was an investigation, something not terribly difficult to have done in their line of work, but this one was personal. She wanted him to find someone, someone that she had lost a long time ago.

She gave him plenty to work off. Despite how weak she had become in those last few weeks, Hisana had been more talkative than ever. The past that she never wanted to speak of, she was suddenly going into incredible detail on. If it were anyone else, he may have considered it jarring, may have even been uncomfortable with it.

It was her, though, and it was then, so he made sure to commit every detail to memory.

Her parents were horrid people, long stuck in a loveless marriage. They took much of their rage out on her, and for the longest time she did nothing. (Could do nothing, he assured her.) Then, one day, when she was barely out of high school, they had another child.

 _"_ _I'd almost say it was a type of magic,"_ she'd described. _"I had gone through just about every day of my life feeling empty inside. A part of me was just waiting for it to be over. Then one day I hear this baby cry. She's in a crib, all alone. No one else is even home, and suddenly I wake up. I did the first thing I could think of, that day. I took her, and I ran._

 _"_ _It didn't last, though,"_ she had continued. _"I barely knew how to take care of myself much less… It… well… It seemed like the right thing to do at the time…"_

It was her one true regret, she had said.

 _"_ _I had to leave her."_

She thought of looking for the baby after things had settled, after she had gotten her job, gotten a _life_ , but the guilt was just too strong. She could never bring herself to do it, but maybe he…

Byakuya agreed before she even had time to finish the sentence. He would, of course, he would. He would find Hisana's sister if it was the last thing he did.

Two weeks after making that promise and he was off to a Yokohama orphanage, grief buried deep in his chest.

The child had been easy enough to find. She was right where Hisana had left her, so to speak. He had scheduled his visit a few days ahead, introducing himself as a prospective parent, a half-truth at best.

(Yes, Hisana had wanted them to be approved for such a thing right when they were married. She was well aware of his "circumstances," and for a while, both were unsure if having kids was even on the table for them. All that being said…)

He didn't go to the orphanage with any set plan, other than–

 _"_ _Just see her, for me. Make sure she's alright."_

Yes… that. So, on that stuffy summer day he walked into the orphanage.

 _"_ _Mr. Orikasa!"_ the caretaker greeted warmly. _"I'm glad you were able to make it."_

 _"_ _I'm sorry for being late,"_ he near mumbled. _"Something… came up."_

 _"_ _No worries,"_ the woman assured. _"Now, come in. She's right here."_

She led him through the main entrance into a rather sparse waiting room. Decorating it were little more than a few chairs and an old coffee table but sitting on one of those chairs was a little girl, legs dangling below her. The second she noticed them she jumped down, eyes remaining on the ground. Byakuya's heart stuttered.

 _"_ _This is little Rukia,"_ the woman had said. _"Rukia, why don't you say hello to the nice man?"_

 _"…_ _Hi…"_

She looked up at him with something between curiosity and thinly veiled suspicion, but he didn't very much mind. He was too busy just looking at her _._ The way her bangs fell messily into her face, the way her big doe eyes just sparkled, it was all Hisana. One look and he knew he had found her sister.

The caretaker proceeded to introduce him to the girl, listing off various points from his profile: his job, where he lived, the fact that he requested Rukia specifically, all things that a seven year old child probably wouldn't care for, but he had neither the mind nor the nerves to interrupt, not even to correct the woman when she mentioned his wife.

He more or less just stayed silent, watching Rukia as she unabashedly watched him back, her curiosity clearly rising. He left the orphanage that day not remembering even half of the things the caretaker had said and having barely said a word to the girl at all. The second he reached home, before he even left the car, he wept. He'd say he didn't know why but he'd be lying.

The next day he received a phone confirmation of the second visit that he'd _apparently_ scheduled with orphanage. He decided to confirm the meeting, and this time he really didn't know why.

He wasn't the most stable person, certainly wasn't one equipped to care for a child, no more than those people were, anyway. The facilities Rukia had found herself at were nice, and besides, she was a cute child. Certainly, a normal couple would want her sooner or later.

Still, he continued the farce, being allowed to peak in on the children's playtime one week later.

They were all scattered about outside, making full use of the flimsy playground equipment. Rukia was at the edge of the lot, in the sandbox, concentrating on a crumbled sandcastle, a bucket and shovel in hand. She was speaking quietly to another girl across from her, one that for some strange reason, Byakuya had trouble seeing. He hadn't even noticed her at first glance.

 _Wait…_

Byakuya nearly did a double take. Her friend… That was a Spirit, no doubt about that. He realized that just as two boys ran by, one very intentionally kicking sand into Rukia's face. With a grimace, she wiped it off, adding it to the pile. When the Spirit whispered something, pointing at the two boys, Rukia burst out into giggles.

That development was… unexpected, to say the least. Hisana had never displayed such abilities. Then again, it wasn't impossible that they had simply manifested randomly. It was a common enough story for Ranked Officers, former Rukongai brats, that still remembered their time in the World of the Living.

He went home that day conflicted, considering.

Two weeks after Hisana's funeral he sat down with Rukia, and for the first time, truly introduced himself to her. He wasn't sure if those cursedly tiny chairs made him feel more, or less, awkward about the whole encounter.

 _"_ _I am Byakuya Orikasa,"_ he had said. _"You could say I'm your Brother in Law."_

 _"_ _Brother?"_ she had asked curiously, the only part of what he had said that she had understood or cared for.

 _"_ _Yes, in a sense,"_ he answered, but despite this, her eyes sparkled.

 _"_ _I didn't know I had one of those,"_ she near whispered.

He nodded. _"And we have plenty in common, as well. For example, our ability to see things others cannot."_

She let out a quiet gasp. _"You mean the ghosts?! I didn't think anyone else could do that."_

 _"_ _More can than you think,"_ he said, somewhat cryptically. She nodded enthusiastically, as if committing those words to memory.

 _"_ _Everybody else just thinks they're creepy,"_ she lamented, _"but you don't do you?"_

He nodded once more in agreement, somewhat amused.

 _"_ _Hey, you're a grown-up,"_ she said suddenly. _"You've probably seen all kinds of ghosts. Could you tell me about them?"_ she asked enthusiastically.

 _"_ _Well… I suppose I could try."_

The girl proceeded to interrupt him animatedly at just about every turn with question after question about the various "ghosts" he'd seen. Keeping things as nondescript and child friendly as he could, he answered, feeling somewhat overwhelmed. It was then that something became apparent to him. Despite their similar looks, this child was nothing like the quiet, reserved Hisana.

Despite every single reason he had given prior, he still ended up coming back again and again. When who-knew-how-many weeks into that he was handed the adoption papers, he signed them because that seemed like the natural thing to do.

(He, of course, later found out that he was way in over his head, but that was beside the point.)

The point was that Byakuya felt like he had kept his promise. He would look after Rukia the same way Hisana had always wanted to. He would care for her, give her all she needed, and maybe one day give her some answers, should the time arise.

He would keep her safe.

Now, standing at the back of their house, glaring uselessly at his Zanpakuto, Byakuya felt like a failure.

He narrowed his eyes, stepped forward, and said, "Scatter, Senbonzakura." He watched as his blade dissolved, as the light caught off of thousands of tiny shards. He raised a hand, sent the shards flying through the air–

And nearly growled in frustration as they stuttered along, slow and ineffective. Tightening his jaw, he tried again, moving them into a simple yet flashy maneuver, the kind that used to send his enemies to their knees. They swirled around him, steadily picking up speed, before slowing to a crawl once more, the petals falling around him pathetically.

He clenched his fists. This is what his Shikai was reduced to, huh? It was like he was two hundred again, still being teased by Yoruichi. He considered throwing his empty hilt to the ground in frustration, just to complete the image. Instead, he brought it close, scrutinizing it.

"Don't you have anything to say?" he asked.

Silence.

"You can't stay quiet forever," he growled, "certainly not now."

Still more silence.

He let out a sigh. "Then again, that was always your way, wasn't it? Strong, silent, cryptic, yet somehow you _still_ never knew what you were doing."

Even at his least frustrating, Senbonzakura would too often sit back and watch as Byakuya struggled, never saying a word. For the longest time Byakuya thought him cruel for that. When the Spirit explained it was meant to make him more independent, stronger, he wanted to hit him for that. (He did… _hit him_ , that is.)

A part of him wondered what lesson this was supposed to teach him, because really, he couldn't see it. Letting out a shaky breath, he collapsed back, settling for just sitting in the dirt, head in his arms as the shards of his Zanpakuto remained scattered around him.

Part III

Yoruichi ran as fast as she could, paying no mind to random passers-by, startled at nearly being knocked over by what they probably thought was the wind. Now wasn't the time for stealth or cover, now was the time for results.

So, ignoring her Gigai, or even her more subtle cat form, Yoruichi searched for the Visoreds. She'd already gone through all their favorite hangout spots, had checked the warehouse that they didn't think she knew the location of, and was currently scouring all of Karakura for the second, no _third_ time that day.

Needless to say, things weren't looking good.

She paused, settling on the tallest rooftop in the area, some office building deep in the business district. She sat back heavily, legs dangling over the edge, and carding a hand through her tangled hair she tried to _think._

Maybe it was time she widened her search. It was possible they left Karakura town entirely and had gone somewhere else in Tokyo, or maybe even further away. If that was the case, though; she certainly had her work cut out for her.

It had taken her and Kukaku the better part of five years to track them down in the first place, and in the end they were only able to convince them to stay put because Kisuke was there and they _owed him their lives_ for helping them escape the Soul Society all those years ago.

She let out a sigh of frustration at that thought. If Kisuke were here with her maybe she would have found them by now, maybe then they wouldn't be trying so hard to stay hidden, maybe…

Yoruichi stood up suddenly. _Of course!_ she thought. She felt like a complete idiot. Why else would the Visoreds go into hiding now of all times? For _whom_ else would the Visoreds go into hiding now of all times? It was Kisuke. It was always Kisuke.

With that thought in her mind she sprang off the roof, heading right in the direction of the shop. She needed a Senkaimon.

Part IV

Mashiro jogged her leg, struggling to stay seated. She'd tried just about every position she could including standing, pacing, jogging in place, and (of course) standing on her hands. Having exhausted all her options, she settled for frustrated sitting.

Her and every other Visored were holed up in Urahara's old hideout, the one back in the Soul Society and _holy heck_ did she not think she'd be back here any time soon (or ever).

What were they doing here, anyway? Urahara hadn't explained anything when he'd dumped them there. One moment he and Shinji were outside talking and the next they were all being shoved into a Senkaimon.

The lack of explanation _bugged her_. The current silence bugged the _heck_ out of her. Rose didn't even have time to bring his music with him. In fact, he was just sitting around looking as defeated and bored as the rest of the them. The only ones that seemed to have any idea of what was going on were Shinji and Hiyori, the two of them speaking in hushed tones near a rock structure. Mashiro wondered if she'd get into any trouble for eaves dropping…

Before she even managed to stand up a large hand was wrapped around her arm and dragging her down with a stern grunt. She let out a childish whine.

"Come on!" she complained. "You're really okay with this, Ken?"

"It's not about whether I'm okay with this," he said in a low voice. "We have our orders."

"Orders?!" she yelled. "I thought we were done with that stuff?! What we're back in the Soul Society for like two minutes and we're back to _that_?"

He leveled her a stern look.

"Oh, you know I'm right," she snapped back. "One of our own is missing and we're just sitting around and waiting for _orders._ It's complete s–!"

"Seriously?!" another voice yelled. "You didn't think to tell _anyone else_ about this?!"

"It was a little need to know, Yoruichi!" another voice echoed. "Anyone knows they're here and we're _all_ dead."

"I've been looking for them for the last twenty-four hours straight, Kisuke!"

The two finally came into view from around the corner, having the decency to look sheepish at being caught in such an argument. Hiyori let out a sarcastic whistle.

"Ahem," Urahara cleared his throat. Yoruichi rolled her eyes, nudging him forward with her elbow. The two sent each other several loaded looks, then, a silent conversation happening before everyone's eyes. It ended with Urahara, head in hands, stepping forward.

"I'm sure you're _all_ ," he sent Yoruichi a pointed look, "wondering why you're here."

"No shit," Hiyori grumbled. "We've been here for like an hour, Kisuke."

He wasn't quite able to meet her eyes.

"Well, I'm here to explain it," he said smoothly.

"It better be good," Yoruichi mumbled.

Urahara snapped, "Maybe you'd know if you–"

"We're not going to Hueco Mundo," Shinji interrupted with a sigh.

Noises of alarm and surprise rang throughout the field, Mashiro being one of the loudest.

"You can't be serious?!" she cried.

Shinji looked back at her grimly. "I'm still not sure why, myself." He looked back at Urahara.

"It's… complicated," the scientist explained. "Not that anything involving Aizen isn't, but…" he glanced back, catching sight of Yoruichi who sent him quite the glare. He shivered. "Certain circumstances mean we have to think outside the box on this one.

"As some of you may know, Old Man Yamamoto wants to hold off on a full-scale invasion. Me and a few others respectfully disagree."

"We don't have time for riddles," Hiyori snapped. "Names, _now._ "

Urahara let out a nervous chuckle. "Captains Ukitake, Shiba, and Kyoraku would be _others_ and we think we've found a way to do this that will make an invasion seem much more favorable."

"The kids," Yoruichi said quietly. "No wonder Ukitake and Isshin were so gung-ho about sending them over. You're sending them as scouts."

Urahara winced guiltily. "Yeah, basically. They carve a path, cause a little chaos and set up the perfect situation for us to jump in, in the process. One of them even has the Combat Pass, from what I understand, so we'd be able to keep an eye on them the whole time."

"Yamamoto isn't going to like this," Yoruichi grumbled.

"Oh, I know," he said nervously. "I'm just hoping the ends will justify the means, in this case. We might be able to take down Aizen before his plans ever get a chance to begin. I'm not giving that up."

Yoruichi's eyes widened. "I'd heard you went on that mission but… really, you've figured it out?"

"Me and Kurotsuchi have made some interesting progress," was all he admitted.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Mashiro spoke up, hand in the air. "This sounds good and all, but you still haven't said where that leaves us!"

The other Visoreds all looked at him expectantly. Urahara gulped, nodding.

He began, "At first, I was going to leave you to your own devices, but then the rest of us got thinking. A part of the reason Aizen got as far as he did was his planning. He knows all of _us_ , he knows our power, he knows we're coming for him. It was why the Captain Commander was so hesitant in the first place.

"But you guys? He hasn't seen any of you in over a hundred years. You weren't on any of the surveillance he took, as far as we know, and if his taking Rukia is any indication, he probably doesn't know much about Visoreds at all. You're, in plain terms, the perfect trump cards."

"Make it plainer," Hiyori insisted. "What are we doing here?"

"You're helping me take down Aizen," he said finally.

"…Huh?" Hiyori sounded.

"Wasn't that what we were already doing?" Love asked, head cocked.

"No, no," Urahara shook his head. "You're helping me take down _Aizen_. You're the only people he and his upper ranks aren't prepared to fight. So, when the time comes, when the final battle happens, I want you at the head of the charge."

Silence stretched on as the weight of his words sunk in.

Hiyori was the first to break it. "Tch, so what, we just sit here with our thumbs up our asses until then?"

"But for a real crack at Aizen…" Kensei said in a low voice. "It's pretty tempting."

Shinji stared at the ground, considering.

"Okay," he finally said. "We agree, if only to get a shot at Aizen, but it's a loose agreement. Debt or no debt, if we back out or make a change of plans, that's our business."

Urahara gulped heavily. "I accept."

To the side Yoruichi hummed in appreciation. "I'll admit, it's not a bad plan, assuming it all goes well.

"Yoruichi, when have my plans ever failed?" he asked with a rueful grin.

Clapping him on the back she let out a hearty laugh.

* * *

 **Mashiro is legally not allowed to curse.**

 **Next (last) chapter is an interlude with a bit of backstory that I think you'll all appreciate. After that we'll be discussing the next Hiatus, and due to irl stuff I'm thinking that this one might be a little longer than usual. Still, I'll try to keep you posted.**

 **(Your reviews give me life. Thanks for supporting me this far.)**


	50. L: Interlude 10

**The last chapter of the arc. Have fun! Byakuya won't!**

* * *

 _One Hundred Years Ago_

Sitting in perfect seiza, the absolute picture of grace and elegance, Byakuya Kuchiki felt…

"Captain Kuchiki."

He felt…

" _Captain Kuchiki!_ "

Startled out of his trance, Byakuya bolted up, a cold sweat breaking out across his neck.

He felt completely in over his head, here.

"I apologize, Captain Commander," he said with a deep bow.

With a grimace he registered the sound of someone giggling. He didn't even need to turn to know it was Captain Shihōin. He instead took the time to force an air of calm, drawing the appropriate scrolls from within his robe. He cleared his throat.

"I will begin my report," he said as evenly as possible.

He read through the documents mechanically, _professionally_ , and though he attempted to channel the former Captain Kuchiki, he had a feeling he wasn't terribly successful. He sat down.

(Who was he kidding? He had no idea how _successful_ he was. The entire speech went by in a blur, one that he didn't remember the second he sat back down. He felt completely out of his depth.)

Captain Shihōin sent him a cheeky grin from her place near the front of the room. She wasn't helping.

As each Captain had their turn, and each report was given, Byakuya couldn't help but think that the entire meeting dragged on horribly. It certainly felt longer than it ever had back in the day when he was simply a Lieutenant.

(He was forced to remind himself that "back in the day" was three days ago. His nerves frayed further.)

By the time the last Captain stood up to give their speech the feeling in his toes were _long gone._

Well, he had to correct, it wasn't a Captain that stood up, then. Lieutenant Kaien Shiba stood in Captain Ukitake's place, an easy smile on his face.

"I'm sure you're all looking to leave soon," he said with a crooked grin. "So, I'll try and make this quick."

Byakuya nearly scoffed at his casual demeanor. Of course, no one else seemed to mind or even notice, as always. It almost made him angry.

Still…

The Lieutenant stood there, papers in hand, and with some easy words and a few jokes peppered here and there he somehow commanded the room, he even had the attention of Captain Kiganjō who took that time to finally awake from his meeting-long nap. The Lieutenant demanded respect with little more than a smile.

(Byakuya could imaging his grandfather turning in his grave at the mere _thought_ that their clan heir was jealous of a Shiba.)

Barely a few minutes later and they were all left to their duties, scheduled to return the same time next week, as always. He hoped next time he would do better.

"Hey, Byakuya!"

The young Captain stiffened, turning. He stiffened further when Lieutenant Shiba clapped him on the shoulder, looking at the hand with pure disdain.

"I believe you mean _Captain Kuchiki,_ Lieutenant," Byakuya said flatly. "As we no longer share a rank, I would ask that you address me with the due respect."

Shiba let out a bark of laughter, hand squeezing. "This ain't the manor, buddy. You're allowed to lighten up, you know?"

Byakuya stared at him, and then at the hand still on his shoulder. The Lieutenant released him, eyes rolling before starting back on his way.

"Take it from someone who's been doing the _unofficial_ 'Captain thing' for a while. Don't take everything so serious. You'll save yourself a lot of headache." With a loose salute and a wink, he left.

Byakuya watched the man's back as he retreated before closing his eyes, if only to hide how hard he was rolling them right now. He headed off to his own Division.

It was the type of advice that Byakuya would normally ignore. In fact, it was so anti-Kuchiki that he nearly _did_ out of sheer reflex, but…

The man had a point, he must admit. Not only had he been "at this" for longer than Byakuya had, he'd been in the Gotei Thirteen for longer than Byakuya, as well.

(And he'd heard the rumors. Shiba was supposed to be the new Captain, not him, but for some reason, he didn't get the position. [Supposedly] he had turned it down, something that Byakuya didn't understand in the slightest.)

(A third Captain in the Shiba's main family would have made them legendary. Put that with the Kuchiki's own waning influence and numbers, and they would have been the most powerful family in the Seireitei.)

(But such things were not to be said aloud. It was Byakuya's job to one day return the clan to its former glory, after all.)

Byakuya didn't resolve to take the advice right then and there, but he at the very least kept it in mind.

…

Byakuya scrutinized the text in front of him, eyes burning. He'd been at his desk since dawn, he was pretty sure. With a heavy frown he looked through the window. It was easily past noon.

With a sigh he pushed away from the desk, a hand immediately going to his temples. A part of him wanted to simply power through and finish all the work in one go. Another part wanted to burn the pile and dance on the ashes.

He heard a knock at the door. "Come in," he half-groaned.

His Third Seat walked in, a sheepish look on his face. One look down to his arms and Byakuya instantly knew why. He covered his eyes, just knowing that if he saw it again, he _would_ burn it.

"Just put it with the others."

"Sorry, sir," Nakamura squeaked out. "I took a share of it myself, but there's just so much, it seems. I could take a portion of this to Fourth Seat Ito if you'd like. She said she was happy to help."

"No, thank you. That will be all, Nakamura," he said with a wave of his hand. The young man bowed once more before scurrying away.

Byakuya looked down at the paperwork pile, once again the same size that it was this morning. He let out his fifth, possibly sixth, sigh of the day. It was just his luck that the Division he was given was without a Lieutenant.

(Curse his uncle for eloping with the man. Byakuya couldn't even seek out his relative for advice without causing a clan-wide incident.)

He'd consider promoting Nakamura to the seat, but the boy didn't even have a Shikai and was honestly far too meek for such a position. He still had a whole list of candidates that he needed to sort through, both from his Division as well as others and _oh dear gods his headache was back._

Standing up fully, Byakuya left the office, slamming the door behind him in a way that was _very_ un-Kuchiki-like. He needed some fresh air. He considered perusing through the Division's gardens, but quickly decided against it. Just about every break he'd taken this last week had been spent there. He wasn't too keen to see it _again_.

Besides, the sakura blossoms were in bloom, and if he had to face on more reminder of _that annoyance_ , he was pretty sure he would choke someone with them.

So, instead he went outside of the Division, walking with a facsimile of purpose. When he wandered to the edge of the Academy gardens, the camellia (thank the gods) blossoms in bloom, he sat heavily on a stone bench, ignoring the awed stares of students as they passed by on their lunch break. He tried to clear his mind.

He had… mixed success.

Barely a few minutes passed before he was standing up, a carefully hidden grimace on his face as he turned back to where he came. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of black.

Lieutenant Kaien Shiba looked to be in a hurry, and Byakuya could imagine why. He was a long way from the Thirteenth Division and from the looks of things seemed to be leaving the Fifth.

 _What was he doing there?_

Internally Byakuya knew that such things weren't his business. He had plenty to worry about in his own Division, and there were plenty of legitimate reasons for Lieutenant Shiba to be here. Still…

Something about the man's posture, about his expression, about how his Reiatsu signature was carefully tucked away, it put a sour taste in Byakuya's mouth. Hiding his own signature, he moved to follow.

Were it not for the training he had received from _Shihōin_ he probably would have been discovered about a minute in. He considered himself lucky that he managed to make it all the way to the Thirteenth with no one the wiser.

The man he was tagging carried a stack of what seemed to be paperwork, with one scroll tucked into his belt for good measure. Byakuya waited for him to simply turn into either his or his Captain's office.

He passed them both, heading into the gardens. The scowl on his face growing, Byakuya followed.

They weaved through the grounds, making it right to the edge of the training area before Shiba stopped at the door of a single locked shed. The outside looked dirty, dilapidated, like no one else had used it in quite a few years. Shiba unlocked it, disappearing into the darkness inside.

Back against a tree, Byakuya looked on with narrowed eyes. What in the heavens was this man doing? Call him paranoid, but to Byakuya all of this looked horribly suspicious. He considered heading back to the Fifth, if only to confirm with Captain Aizen that whatever business was going on here was legitimate because…

Well, Byakuya really couldn't believe it. If anyone else told him that Lieutenant Shiba was up to something he'd laugh at them. The Shiba didn't have a conspiring bone in his body, but _he supposed_ appearances could be deceiving.

No, he was getting ahead of himself, here. There was no evidence that Shiba was doing anything bad, just a bunch of circumstantial nonsense. He elected to wait outside and allow the man to explain himself once he left the shed.

He waited…

And waited…

 _And waited…_

In the end it was hunger that dragged him away, that and the fact that the paperwork on his desk was likely growing with every passing minute he was gone.

He left feeling frustrated, tired, and most of all _deeply_ unsettled.

…

Byakuya ended up postponing his quest for a Lieutenant. He, of course, didn't postpone the paperwork getting done because it would undoubtedly shame the Kuchiki name _somehow_. He instead got used to forcing a good half of it on his Third and Fourth seats, all while continuing his _investigation._

Lessons from Shiōin that he used to whine and moan over were suddenly coming in handy as he went on to trail Lieutenant Shiba throughout the first month of his tenure as Captain.

Every Wednesday, right at the start of his lunch break, Lieutenant Kaien Shiba took the oddest possible route from the Thirteenth Division, one that changed a little every time. Sometimes he skirted around the borders of the Seireitei. Other times he'd cut through other Divisions first, despite how out of the way they may be. Mostly, he just ended up taking an esoteric route through the Academy.

No matter what, he always ended up in the same location, the Fifth. He disappeared into their offices for nearly half an hour and returned to the Thirteen. He entered the old shed, stayed there for varying amounts of time and then left.

He did it with such consistency that most of his coworkers seem to have stopped noticing it was strange long ago. Some assumed he was doing duties for the Captain; others assumed he was doing something _much more illicit_ with a mistress, his Third Seat wife none the wiser. If Captain Ukitake had caught on to this behavior, he had yet to say anything about it.

Byakuya at one point realized that he had the power to stop all of this, of course. He could simply ask the man himself, question him in such a way that he _couldn't_ refuse. He learned much more from Shihōin than stealth techniques, after all.

But… no, something about that left a sour taste in his mouth. Despite all of his (stalking) investigation, he didn't have any real proof that something was genuinely wrong, here. All any accusations would be seen as was the word of a freshy minted Captain against the word of a well trusted Lieutenant, aka: a rich brat throwing around his rank.

So, he continued his "investigation" because for some reason, Byakuya didn't know how to let sleeping dogs lie.

On the fifth or sixth Wednesday he decided to test his limits. He followed the man at what was probably a much closer distance than could be considered "safe."

Kaien Shiba had taken one of his more usual routes, cutting through the Fourth and coming back the same way he came. It was direct, but somehow, something seemed… off.

Perhaps it was the way he was running, rushing to get back to the Thirteenth much more than usual, or perhaps it was the signature Shiba scowl, strained into something harsher _angrier_ , but… Byakuya didn't like it, not one bit.

From his distance, Byakuya could see the stack of papers in his hands. Often, they were obscured by a folder or wrapped in a proper scroll, but this time, the man must have _really_ been in a rush because it was all exposed to open air, the top paper nearly visible.

( _Nearly._ _Of course, it wouldn't be that easy_ , Byakuya internally groaned.)

It was then that Byakuya decided a bit of risk taking would be well worth it in the end. He trailed the man from the treetops, moving silently as Shiba weaved mindlessly through his Division's gardens. Byakuya waited for his chance.

"Kaien!" a voice called.

The man ground to a halt, an exasperated look on his face, and Byakuya could imagine why. The Lieutenant was currently facing his rather cross wife.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," the woman scolded. "The Captain asked to see you nearly an hour ago, and I'm sorry, but I can't cover for you this time!"

"I know, I know," the man groaned, "it's just… this really…" He trailed off, face to face with something that Byakuya did not see. A conflicted expression flashed across his face, and with pursed lips Shiba bent down, placing a kiss on the woman's forehead.

Byakuya felt suddenly like he was intruding. He felt like it might be best for him to leave, in fact, but… he couldn't turn back, now, not when he was so close. He leaned in further.

"Give me _five minutes,_ " the man pleaded. "I'll be there, I promise!"

He went into a low bow, his hold on the papers loosening _just enough_ that one of them fluttered from his grasp and onto the base of the tree. He rushed away before he even had the chance to notice.

Byakuya held his breath.

"You better," the woman muttered. Then, her face fell. "Oh, Kaien… What have you gotten yourself into, now?"

She walked away, and only once she was long gone, her Reiatsu signature barely a flicker in Byakuya's mind did he jump down from his hiding spot. The paper was in his hands in less than a second. His heart pounding, he _looked_.

At first, he wasn't sure what he was looking at. It was a picture, he was sure, but of _what_? It seemed to be strapped to a lab table, its skin stripped open to reveal its grainy innards. Next to the picture were lines and lines of notes written, though the words made little sense to him. Below it all was a large diagram of what looked to be a humanoid body, several notes scrawled next to it.

It took him a few moments to realize that he was staring at the corpse of a Hollow. (It took him another moment to remember that Hollows didn't leave corpses.) He squeezed his eyes shut suddenly feeling ill. Taking a shaky breath, he took a final peak, trying his best to avoid the picture of the creature.

The words made no more sense to him upon a second reading, but he was sure that some of the characters (because he was fairly certain it wasn't even all _Japanese_ he was looking at) next to the corpse matched those in the humanoid diagram and he didn't need to understand it to know that what he was looking at was seven levels of _wrong–_

"Woah there, kid… W-what ya got there?" Shiba stuttered out. His normal drawl had somehow lost all its charm. The man was looking at him, a nervous sweat breaking out on his forehead, hands outstretched and open.

Byakuya's eyes narrowed and in a split second he went back into a fighting stance. "Scatter, Senbonzakura!"

Petals surrounded his senior in an instant, trapping the man and scratching at the sleeves of his kimono, threatening. He gulped once, but otherwise stayed stock still. It seemed he knew what was good for him.

"Lieutenant Shiba, I am taking you in on suspicion of…" well, he wasn't really sure what to call what he had just looked at, "on suspicion of conspiracy," he settled on. "You will come with me quietly and you will reveal everything you have hidden away in that shed of yours."

"Wait!" the man pleaded. "This is all just some misunderstanding, I–"

"Please," Byakuya scoffed. "I understand perfectly. I had known you were up to something, but to think it was so depraved…" His petals' grip tightened further, drawing blood from shallow cuts in the Shiba's arms.

"I-I," he looked desperate. Good. "I'll show you everything!" he yelled. "Just _don't_ bring it to the other Captains. Byakuya, come on, you know me. I would never–"

His words cut off in a hiss of pain as Byakuya's grip tightened just a centimeter further before easing once more.

"You will take me there," Byakuya said simply, "then I will make my decision."

The man's shoulders slumped, relief visible, though his teeth were still clenched. With a not so gentle nudge forward Byakuya urged him in the direction of the shed. From behind Byakuya could see his shoulders tensing.

"Damn," the man attempted to laugh it off. "I shoulda known someone was following me, huh?"

Byakuya stayed silent, simply urging him forward.

"Yoruichi would be proud, you know?" he said over his shoulder. "I didn't even know you were there. I bet if you'd held out and been her heir like she wanted–"

"Do you Shiba ever shut up?" Byakuya snapped.

Shiba let out a strained laugh. "Now _that's_ the Byakuya I know."

" _Captain Kuchiki!_ " With that exclamation Byakuya shoved him the rest of the way forward. "Now open this door!" he commanded.

Shiba winced, at least partially because of the increased pressure from Byakuya's Shikai. "Yeah, yeah, I'm getting to it. You know it would be a lot easier if you released my arms, right?"

Byakuya's glare grew colder. Shiba rolled his eyes. The Lieutenant muttered the spell, then, just soft enough that Byakuya couldn't quite make it out, and before his eyes the lock reformed, falling away. The door swung open.

What covered the walls, well, in Byakuya's opinion, didn't help Shiba's case. More papers of the same ilk were pasted on the walls, a single box shoved in the corner, likely filled with the same. How long had the Lieutenant been up to this? His anger growing, Byakuya tightened his grip.

"Ow, OW!" Shiba yelped. "Geeze, you sure like using that thing! If you'd just let me _explain_ –!"

"I believe I've seen enough."

"Where did I get any of this, huh?!" Shiba snapped. All the humor in his voice was gone.

"From the Fifth," Byakuya said flatly. "I was quite thorough in my investigation, I assure you. What does that have to do with–?"

"Do you see a lab here? Maybe some corpses hidden in the back by the shovels? All of this was smuggled from the Fifth."

Byakuya's grip loosened, unsure. "And? What are you getting at Lieutenant? Your time is nearly up."

"Ever since Captain Urahara opened up those labs something fishy's been going on over there. Captain Aizen is up to something and just because the rest of you can't see–"

"Captain Aizen?" Byakuya interrupted, fingers pinching at the bridge of his nose. "Of all the people you could attempt to lay blame on… I'm taking you to the Captain Commander, that is final."

"He was there!" Shiba cried. "When my sister in law died, he was there, poking around, and when I tried to say there was foul play, he was the _first_ one to go against me!"

Byakuya grimaced. "You can't really expect me to believe…" Byakuya shook his head. "Masaki Shiba's death was a tragic acci–"

"IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT!" Reiryoku burst from the man, sending all of Byakuya's petals flying. The shards stuck into the surrounding wood, and Byakuya found himself too shocked to call them back.

Shiba stood there, heaving, panting, hardly even recognizing what he had done.

"It wasn't… an accident," he got out. "I know what a normal Hollow attack looks like. That wasn't it." He trudged over to the wall, tearing off a page and shoving it into Byakuya's chest. " _Here!_ I may not be able to understand it all, but I know enough. Aizen had notes on that Hollow, notes that he'd only be able to get if he had it when it was still alive. Look for yourself."

Still wary, Byakuya pealed the page from his chest and _looked._

The notes were hastily written, blots of ink staining the page at odd places. Still, they were legible and _detailed,_ a copied diagram of a Hollow with the ability to create a "human-shaped" lure. It was sick. It was unnatural. With a heavy weight settling in his chest Byakuya considered all that was before him.

He looked to the man staring him down, fire in his eyes as he dared the Captain to doubt him.

Did Byakuya believe that Kaien Shiba was capable of treachery? Perhaps, in the way that few can truly be trusted. Did Byakuya believe that Kaien Shiba would kill his own sister in law for the sake of an experiment?

 _No,_ he didn't.

He lowered the page, feeling himself grow pale. "This…" he muttered. _This_ was bad. "You're sure it's… Captain Aizen?" the words seemed foreign coming from his own mouth.

"I'm more than sure. I just don't know who else is involved. Captain Urahara, maybe even Captain Hirako… That's why this needs to stay between us, at least until I find some real proof."

"What, all this isn't enough?" Byakuya asked, shaking the paper in his hands.

Shiba let out a deep sigh. "Copies of notes won't get me anywhere. I couldn't keep the real things for more than a day without having Ichimaru breathing down my neck, and I've never actually found the labs. It'd be my word against his, and I'm sure you could imagine how that'd go."

Byakuya frowned, felling somewhat guilty. He didn't have to imagine it.

"But maybe with a Captain on my side…" Shiba looked to Byakuya hopefully.

Byakuya gulped. "Captain Aizen has been in that seat for hundreds of years. Even with my word…" Shiba's face fell. " _But_ whatever he's doing can't be allowed to continue. I'll help you find the proof you need."

The Lieutenant's face brightened into a grin. "I knew you had a soft spot in there, somewhere."

…

It's strange to Byakuya, to be on the other side of his weekly "stalking."

It was quickly decided that the two of them going to the Fifth together to gather information would grab too much attention, so the two ended up devising a system of sorts. One goes in, gets the information, and meets the other at a designated spot outside the Division. It provided some extra security to the duo. If something went horribly wrong, the other could act accordingly.

They always walked back together, two colleagues simply chatting during their lunch break. None were the wiser (and if anything, it helped them, as many of the nastier rumors surrounding Shiba quieted soon after their outings begun).

Byakuya found most of this _acceptable._ They gained some decent notes on Aizen's plans. They figured quickly that Urahara had _something_ to do with it all, or at the very least his research did, they just aren't sure what.

(He wished they _were_ sure. These notes were nigh impossible to comprehend. The young scientist's help would be invaluable, here.)

The only part he found _unacceptable_ was the fact that Lieutenant Shiba just won't _stop talking!_

"…You should have seen the little guy. He had this intense look on his face, and I swear he was more polite that _you_ on your first day. The second we got him settled Miyako burst out laughing!"

Byakuya soldiered on, tightening his grip on the scrolls.

"I mean, it didn't take too long for that to get beaten out of him. The Thirteenth is no place for serious business, as I always say. It does take me back, though. Why, I remember when she and I first came here before we were even married–"

Byakuya ground suddenly to a halt, eyes narrowing. Something was not right, here.

"…What is it?" Shiba asked, laid-back tone gone.

The Captain didn't answer. He shoved his scrolls in Shiba's direction, and in a flicker he disappeared. Above, a grunt of pain sounded, and when he reappeared, it was with a young Lieutenant in tow, arm twisted behind the man's back.

"What were you doing trailing us?" Byakuya asked coldly.

Ichimaru smirked, lips straining from discomfort. "'Trailing?' Can't a guy take a break on a roof in peace?" Byakuya's grip tightened.

"Woah, woah, woah," Shiba tried, hands up. "There's no need for that." Byakuya looked at him questioningly. "I'm sure the kid didn't mean anything by it." He followed that statement with a pointed stare.

With a silent sigh, Byakuya let go. There was no need to drag more suspicion on them than necessary. Shiba took on an easy grin.

"Sorry about that, kid," he said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Byakuya here can get a little… twitchy, the old Kuchiki paranoia and all. Hey, why don't we treat ya to tea to make up for it?"

"Tea?" he asked, feigning innocence, "and with two senior officers?" Ichimaru grinned. "I don't see how I could refuse."

Byakuya frowned.

"Great!" Shiba cheered. "We'll lead the way. Captain Ukitake has the _best_ tea, wouldn't you believe it."

They continued on their way, the Fifth Division Lieutenant trailing them. Barely a few steps in and Byakuya dragged Shiba ahead by the arm going just out of earshot.

"I knew you were a fool, but this is a new low for you," Byakuya hissed. "Ichimaru can't be trusted."

"You think I don't know that?" Shiba snapped back. "He's Aizen's boy, which mean's he's gotta know something, and we're gonna get it out of–"

"What are we talking about?" A silver head popped suddenly between them. Shiba jumped. Byakuya had to repress a flinch. All the while the Lieutenant looked up at them curiously, a sly smile on his face.

"That is none of your–" Byakuya was cut off.

"It's about Aizen!" Shiba blurted out. Byakuya stared at him, dumbfounded. "We were just wondering if Captain Aizen would be okay with you coming with us."

Ichimaru went to Shiba's side, keeping pace with him. "It's not like he has much of a say. It is my day off, after all."

"Day off huh?" Shiba tried to sound casual, and did a good job of it, too. "That must be nice. Why, I can't remember the last time I've had one of those…"

Byakuya let the two's conversation drift to the background. It didn't interest him, after all, not as much as carefully watching Ichimaru.

When he had found him on that rooftop he had just been lying there, looking down with that inscrutable gaze of his. Byakuya didn't trust the man, not even before knowing what his Captain was up to.

Ichimaru was known as a child prodigy in the Gotei Thirteen, having made Lieutenant at an incredibly young age. He had retained his talent throughout his career making himself known as an admirable foe.

All that being said, very few liked him, much less trusted him.

There were rumors from when he was in the academy that he was somewhat of a sadist, and many that attended with him would avoid him at all costs. Even those that didn't know him previously at all found themselves unnerved by the man for one reason or another. Without any official incidents, though, they were just rumors.)

When Captain Aizen had taken him in, many thought it was a sign for the better. They thought the kind Captain was trying to turn over a new leaf for the boy. Knowing what they did now, Byakuya feared that may not have been the case.

So, he watched the two as they spoke amicably with each other, looking on with suspicion.

Eventually they reached a small office at the edge of the Thirteenth Division gardens. With a smile, Shiba invited them in, but before they could enter, he was stopped.

"There you are!" a voice bit out. With an angered scowl and an arm full of paperwork, Ichigo Shiba stomped over to his uncle adding to his ever-growing pile with an angered shove. "I've been looking for you all goddamn day!"

"Hello to you, too, Ichigo," he said, arms straining. The boy glared at him.

"Don't give me any of that. I found out what you've been doing to poor Auntie Miyako. You're doing this paperwork yourself. No handing it off to her, or _so help me_ –!"

"Okay! Okay!" he cried. "But I, uh, kinda have guests here, so I'll need at least an hour before–"

"I am _not_ afraid to tell Captain Ukitake on you," he said in a low voice. Then, he turned to Byakuya, glare gone. He gave a customary bow. "Good afternoon Captain Kuchiki, Lieutenant Ichimaru. I hope _this one_ hasn't been too much of a bother."

"No, not at all," Ichimaru said pleasantly. "Actually, he was just about to treat us to tea."

"Speaking of which," Shiba said. "Ichigo, if you would…"

The officer glared at him once more before turning. "Give me ten minutes," he bit out.

Shiba let out a laugh, hearty yet somehow _nervous_ , guiding his two guests to the table. Byakuya sat, as always in a perfect seiza, Shiba (surprisingly) following. It was Ichimaru that sat down cross legged, smiling at the Captain cheekily. Byakuya tried to ignore him.

"So…" the silver haired Lieutenant drew out, his fingers drumming on the table. "What did you two want to talk about?"

"Oh, we just wanted to chat," Shiba said easily. "I mean, after what Byakuya did, I felt so bad, and you might be the only other Lieutenant I've never talked to. So, please, tell all!"

"I'm afraid there's not much to tell," Ichimaru said with a small smile. "The Fifth isn't _that_ interesting. Aizen is a surprisingly dull man, really."

"Pssh," Shiba sounded. "You've been a Lieutenant for almost as long as me! I'm sure you've got at least one story."

"I guess… There was this _one_ interesting newbie. She was such a meek little thing. I was surprised she had even made it this far…"

Byakuya only half listened to the story, continuing his careful watching of the Lieutenant. Oddly enough, the man didn't make a single move towards the papers they had stolen. He just told some boring story about a blushing new recruit. It almost lulled Byakuya into thinking that Ichimaru really didn't know what was going on, here.

 _Almost_.

Around the end of his story the young Shiba came by with a prepared tea set, an aromatic smell wafting from it. He set it down in a way that Byakuya could only describe as passive aggressive, filling the cups before bowing once and leaving in a huff.

Byakuya took one polite sip, noting that, _yes_ , the tea was quite good. He glanced over to see Ichimaru sipping his cup appreciatively, a sedate smile on his face.

The Captain decided to take the direct root, then. "Would you say that you know everything that goes on in your Division?" he asked.

Ichimaru's eyes widened a bit from his squinty gaze. "No, probably not. Captain Aizen can be surprisingly secretive. That power his Zanpakuto has is no coincidence, you know."

"Yeah…" Shiba hummed. "He can make mirages using the mist from his Shikai, right?"

"Yep! And you know what they say about your Zanpakuto reflecting your personality." He took one long appreciative sip.

Byakuya's lips pursed. "I can't say I've ever been interested in those sorts of theories," he muttered.

"Really?" Ichimaru asked openly. "I've always been fascinated by such things. I suppose that's why Aizen chose me as his Lieutenant. He's always been preoccupied with…" he cast a glance at Shiba's papers, " _theories._ "

Byakuya froze. Shiba set down his cup a little too loudly.

"Oh!" Ichimaru exclaimed. "Did I say too much?" He took another sip of his tea, finishing off the cup before standing up. "Well, that's alright, I suppose. I really should be going. I had some other plans for the day, I'm afraid."

Shiba coughed into his hand before recovering. "That's alright," he said, strained. "I'll see you out." He opened the door for the young man, but right before Ichimaru crossed the threshold he turned back.

"I'd love to do this again," he said kindly. "Your nephew makes a mean cup of tea. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to him because someone was sticking their nose where it didn't belong."

The man left after that, Shiba standing silently by the door, still holding it open. With some hesitance Byakuya moved towards him.

The Lieutenant had gripped the door so hard it had _cracked._ Hand steady, he released it, a chunk falling to the floor.

"Hey… Byakuya?"

Byakuya didn't have the heart to correct him, then.

"I'm taking out those bastards if it's the last thing I do."

…

Seeing Shiba for the rest of the week, he's his old jovial self. He was showing up to meetings, being the darling of the upper ranks, and doing his work with the same amount of gusto that he usually does.

When their meeting day arrived, he was right outside of Byakuya's office about half an hour ahead of schedule.

"We need to talk," he urged, barging in. He closed the door behind him, drew the curtains on the window, and dumped a small stack of papers onto Byakuya's already full desk.

Byakuya set down his pen, drawing up one of the papers, brow furrowed. "What is this?" He was looking at a diagram of sorts, the notes next to it even messier than usual.

" _This,_ " Shiba pressed his finger into it harshly, "is the missing piece to the puzzle, my friend. I reviewed the notes a bit and found one word reoccurring through the lot of it, 'Hogyoku.'"

"You found out what that word stood for?"

"It doesn't stand for anything! It was never code. I took a look at the Central Forty-Six library, and when I searched for the word, I found _these._ "

Byakuya dragged them closer, flipping through, scrutinizing. The lack of horrific imagery made it a much tamer experience. A few pages in, though, he realized something.

"These are Captain Urahara's," he said. "He made this… thing. So, he really is in league with Aizen."

"That's what I thought, too! But then I asked the librarian if there were any further materials, you now, the _restricted kind,_ but he said they were already checked out by Captain Aizen. Now, why would Captain Aizen have to officially check out the research materials if he was friends with the guy? He could just ask him for his!"

"You do have a point there…" Byakuya quietly admitted. He tried to skim through the research materials, and though not in code, he found the language to be far too technical for him to understand. "But, why would Aizen even want this thing?"

"I'm… not really sure. I'd need the other notes to know that, but what I have figured is that this _thing_ is basically just a ball of concentrated power, and considering what he's been doing with Hollows, I'm willing to bet Aizen could find a use or two with something like that."

"So… what?" Byakuya asked flatly. "Do we march up to Captain Urahara, tell him everything?"

"I'm still trying to work that part out," Shiba said, "but, yeah, I'm thinking we take this info to him. Library records are a start of proof, at least, and if his Hogyoku can do what I'm thinking this is gonna crack our case wide open. Just give me a couple of days to sort everything out."

"I'll give you until tomorrow," Byakuya decided sternly. "For now… allow me to read over these. I'll speak with Captain Urahara myself."

Shiba grinned, wide and sincere. "Okay, then. I'm counting on you."

A snake smiled from between the curtains.

…

Byakuya prepared himself for the morning's meetings, Shiba's borrowed papers tucked away in his haori. He'll go through the meeting as planned, be the picture of perfect decorum, and speak privately with Urahara at the end, telling all and hopefully putting an end to Aizen's nefarious experiments.

Leaving his office, he felt determined, it a bit nervous. If their hypothesis was incorrect and Captain Urahara _was_ in league with Aizen then, needless to say, this would turn out quite ugly. With that in mind he stepped out from his office and into the Soul Society's streets.

He was stopped before he even left his Division.

Five Souls flickered into view around him, three at his back, two at his front, all in the Second Division's anonymous black uniforms. A sixth comes to him, right at his back, a Zanpakuto just barely pressed to his neck.

"Sorry about this, Byakuya," Shihōin said quietly. With a jab of her hand his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He went limp. Everything went black.

He found himself gasping awake, on his knees in the center of the meeting room. His peers surrounded him, all accompanied by their Lieutenants. They each looked down at him with a wide variety of emotions. Some seemed unsure, others disgusted, and others still, apathetic.

The Captain Commander looked down on him with a look he couldn't decipher at all.

Captain Aizen looked, to all, to have an expression of abject pity, something that had Byakuya's blood turning cold. It was then he realized that there was exactly one person missing from this meeting.

 _Kaien_

"Captain Shihōin!" one of the masked officers exclaimed. "We found this in Captain Kuchiki's pocket." He handed off the library papers, Byakuya looking on and feeling utterly shocked.

She took the papers, brow furrowed, eyes scanning it. "Kisuke, you may want to see this," she said, hand beckoning.

Captain Urahara came forward, leaning over her shoulder to take a look. He needed only a second before his eyes widened and then darkened.

"This still doesn't prove it," the man said firmly. "There's still no way he could have gotten his hands on one by himself. Making mine took _years._ "

" _Kisuke,_ " the Captain Commander's voice rang out, "is it possible?"

The scientist let out a deep sigh. "Yes, it's possible. That doesn't mean he did it."

"Then there only seems to be one way to settle this," Ichimaru said pleasantly. "We search his place, see if he had any means to do so. Then we'll know if he killed the Lieutenant or not."

"I'm way ahead of you on that one," Shihōin said lowly. "My squad is already–"

"What?" Byakuya hissed out. The Lieutenant's words finally hit him. "I'm sorry, but what's going on, here? You arrest me out of nowhere and for… for…" He gulped. He knew what it was for, now. Ichimaru looked down at him with a too-wide smile.

"I wouldn't act so innocent," Captain Aizen said solemnly. "I had suspected you were up to something, but after looking at the Library records, I was convinced. Admit it. You sent the Hollow that killed poor Lieutenant Shiba and his wife last night."

Byakuya looked up at the man in horror, grasping for words but finding none.

"Enough with this useless fucking talk," Captain Shiba growled, standing to his full height. "Yoruichi said she sent the search. All that's left to do now is wait," he strode over to the prone Byakuya, "and he better pray to the gods that we don't find anything."

Byakuya resisted the urge to flinch, his mind running as fast as it could. This… He was… _This couldn't be happening._

"I didn't do it," was the first thing he thought to say. "Check the library's records. Captain Aizen is in possession of materials regarding the Hogyoku, not me."

Captain Shiba froze, scowl darkening. The Captain Commander frowned. "Kuchiki," Yamamoto said gravely, "I checked those records myself this morning per Captain's Aizen's request. You were the one that took them, and I must say, you are doing yourself no favors by lying about it, now."

Whatever Byakuya was going to say next choked in his throat. How was his name on the records? Shiba had seemed so sure… He turned to Captain Aizen to see the man meeting his gaze steadily.

The elder Captain broke it, striding over to the Captain Commander.

"Such a shame this is," Aizen lamented, shaking his head, "and after all the trouble I went through recommending you to this position over the late Lieutenant… I believe we can save further theories for the trial, should things come to that. For now–"

He was interrupted by a Second Division officer bursting through the front doors, panting.

"What did you find?" Shihōin asked.

"I-it's like nothing I've ever seen!" she panted out. "Captain, you need to see this!"

Shihōin nodded at the officer, face betraying nothing. Yoruichi looked down at Byakuya, betrayal clear on her face. She raised her hand, and once again his vision went dark.

He woke to a Second Division cell, wrists bound in Sekkiseki stone cuffs behind his back. He was sat securely on a hard wooden chair, a narrow window the only light to the room.

Suddenly a small hand cuffed him on the back of the head, sending him bowing. A slight officer came around him, then, carrying a box under one arm. She set it down with a heavy _thud_ on the table before him.

He recognized her instantly as Yoruichi's new Lieutenant, her most recent "student" as the woman had called her. Suì-Fēng looked down at him with disdain.

"You're one sick fuck, aren't you?" she asked with narrowed eyes. She popped open the box, pulling out a sheet from inside. It was one of Shiba's notes. "You know, one of the newer officers puked when he read this. I mean, I know they were just Hollows, but _damn_. You'll be lucky if they don't execute you for what you did."

"This is a mistake," he slurred out. "Let me speak with your Captain. I'm sure this can all be sorted–" She slammed her fist on the table, cutting him off.

"Excuse me, _prisoner,_ " she bit out. "You don't ask things of me, got it? And I can assure you that Lady Shihōin has no desire to see you, not after what _you did_. All you're going to do is sit here and look pretty until your trial next week, got it?"

He looked down, saying nothing. In a flash she was in front of him, hand fisted in the back of his long hair, pulling his head back harshly.

"I need and answer!" she yelled in his face.

"…I understand," he said quietly. She let him go, giving him one last glare before reaching for a folder at the front of the box.

"Now, _for your benefit_ , I will be going through all your charges."

…

 _"_ _From the evidence gathered we can surmise that the defendant created a Hogyoku of his own, conducting unauthorized experiments on dozens of Hollows. Then, in an effort to test one of his experiments he set it loose upon the Thirteenth Division, resulting in the deaths of Lieutenant Kaien Shiba, Third Seat Miyako Shiba, as well as the hospitalization of eight officers."_

 _"_ _That still leaves where the Hogyoku would be now. One was never found at his residence, or at any of his discovered hideouts."_

 _"_ _That matters little in the face of such overwhelming evidence. It is likely he had either hidden it or disposed of it, and wasting time trying to find it would be just that, a waste of time."_

 _"_ _It really is too bad, though. To have the Kuchiki heir fall to such lows, the shame your family must feel."_

Byakuya stood before a panel of judges, stripped of his uniform, his title, and as of yesterday, his name. There was no longer a Kuchiki heir for the family to feel shame over, it seemed.

He let the words of Central Forty-Six wash over him, hearing, but not truly processing any of it. It seemed the conclusion was inevitable, anyway.

Byakuya didn't know what Aizen did to twist everyone's minds. (He still barely registered that Lieutenant Shiba was dead.) All he knew was that apparently all the documents found were in Byakuya's own handwriting, he had three confirmed hideouts, and one confirmed lab.

All he knew was that it was all Aizen's fault.

A part of him wanted revenge. Another part knew it was doubtful he would live to receive it.

 _"…_ _After much deliberation, we find the defendant guilty of all charges, and we recommend the sentencing of banishment. He is to have his powers stripped by sundown and to be expelled from the Soul Society."_

"What?!" Captain Shiba yelled. "That bastard should be burning for this! You can't honestly tell me that's his punishment!"

 _"_ _You would remember your place, Captain. Our word is law. Case dismissed."_

The only thing Byakuya remembered of the trial, with utter clarity, was the look that Ichigo Shiba had given him, staring down from the balcony seats. He looked at him like he was a monster.

He didn't see Aizen look at him, cold, ruthless, yet satisfied.

The spectating officers filed out slowly. The Central Forty-Six members all stood in unison before leaving as a procession. Byakuya was dragged out roughly and without warning.

…

Byakuya was dropped in the middle of the wilderness, one seal drawn on each wrist, completely powerless, stuck in a gigai that felt like it didn't fit. His senses felt shot to hell, the Second Division officers sent to look after him barely registering in his mind.

He stood up, only to stumble. He was _hungry_. He was _thirsty_. With some difficulty he fell back to his old Academy training, hoping that it would be enough.

For a few days he sat, eating what he could, just waiting for death. (He wasn't a fool. They wouldn't have sent this many Second Divisioners after him if they weren't planning on giving him a much more permanent punishment very soon. It seemed Captain Shiba would get his wish.)

The only thing that kept him from ending it himself was this little niggling in his mind, this tiny voice that told him this wasn't his end.

Aizen was still alive in the Soul Society; Byakuya was still alive, and as long as those two things were true, Byakuya would make sure that one day Aizen would _burn_.

That thought fueling him he used his nightly fire to burn the away the seals at his wrists. He looked to the city to the east, large and yet growing, and in the night, he disappeared into it, thanking (one last time) Yoruichi for the training she had given him.

* * *

 **That's it for now folks! I hope you had some fun with this one because I sure did. This one was probably even more fun for me than the Soul Society Arc, honestly, and it turned out even better than I could have imagined. After this I have the Hueco Mundo Arc and a (probably very short) Winter War arc to wrap things up.**

 **Expect some more things to change. Expect some things you already know and love, and expect it all _JULY 19_ , the week after Anime Expo for all you nerds attending. I have more irl things to settle between then and now including running a booth at a smaller anime convention in my hometown as well as figuring out the logistics of moving again. In between all that I'll be writing my little heart out with hopes of getting both arcs done back to back (no promises).**

 **I'll see you then!**


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